Russia's rouble was flat against the dollar and down slightly against the euro after weak US employment data on Friday, while stocks fell after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned oil firms about neglecting domestic refining. Versus the euro-dollar basket, the central bank's main gauge of the currency market, the rouble remained broadly flat at 33.35, after hitting its strongest levels since mid-June of 33.32 in the previous session.
The US Labour Department said employers hired 18,000 workers in June, down from 25,000 in May and far below analysts expectations of a 90,000 gain, hurting the dollar. The rouble was trading 1 kopeck lower at 27.90 versus the dollar, while falling 0.2 percent to 40.00 versus the euro. The single European currency jumped to 1.43 dollars in the euro-dollar pair, reflecting the underwhelming US statistics.