Rouble pares gains as Russian central bank keeps key rate unchanged

• The rouble was flat against the dollar at 79.15, after strengthening to 77.41 earlier in the day, and had lost 0.3pc to trade at 84.92 against the euro.
• The dollar-denominated RTS index was up 5.3pc to 950.4 points.

MOSCOW: The Russian rouble pared gains in volatile trading on Friday after the central bank opted to leave its key rate unchanged at 6pc, but stayed away from a four-year low reached in the previous session due to rising oil prices.

The double hit from the slump in oil prices and a fast-developing global health crisis has made the rouble the worst-performing currency against the dollar this year it has lost more than 20pc of its value since late 2019.

By 1108 GMT the rouble was flat against the dollar at 79.15, after strengthening to 77.41 earlier in the day, and had lost 0.3pc to trade at 84.92 against the euro.

Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was up 4.1pc at $29.6 a barrel.

The central bank kept its key rate unchanged on Friday, in line with a Reuters poll, ending its rate-cutting cycle, and said negative external factors have tightened monetary policy conditions.

The bank announced temporary measures to support the economy and financial markets amid the coronavirus outbreak and low oil prices, that have caused a rapid slide in the rouble from around 64 against the dollar seen just a month ago.

"This gives the market some certainty, and hopefully rates will stabilise on the money market," said Ivan Baranov, head of treasury at Promsvyazbank.

He added that Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina's comments on future policy, expected from 1200 GMT, are far more important for the Russian economy than the central bank's decision on its key rate.

In the past two weeks, the central bank has sought to support the rouble through foreign currency purchases, its first such intervention in five years, and repo auctions to inject liquidity.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said measures were being taken by the regulator and government to stabilise the rouble.

On Thursday, the U.S. Federal Reserve sought to prevent the coronavirus epidemic from causing an economic rout by opening dollar swap lines for central banks in nine additional countries, easing pressure on emerging market currencies.

Russian stock indexes were up.

The dollar-denominated RTS index was up 5.3pc to 950.4 points.

The rouble-based MOEX Russian index was 4.9pc higher at 2387.5 points.