Asian Currencies Stay Muted as Dollar Holds Firm Amid Iran Uncertainty 
Asian Markets Rally as Oil Prices Tumble and Middle East Peace Hopes Emerge 
Oil Prices Rebound as Iran Denies U.S. Talks Amid Gulf War Supply Fears 
Australia's Inflation Eases in February but Core Pressures Persist 
Australia-EU Free Trade Deal Signed After Years of Negotiations 
Bank of Japan Eyes April Rate Hike Despite Inflation Dip, ING Says 
Wall Street Slides as Iran War Uncertainty, Oil Surge, and AI Fears Rattle Markets 
ECB Eyes Rate Hike Amid Iran Conflict-Driven Energy Price Surge 
U.S. Oil Prices Slide as Middle East Ceasefire Talks Spark Market Optimism 
Trump Tariffs Show Minimal Economic Impact but Boost Federal Revenue, Study Finds 
Iran-Israel Missile Strikes Continue Amid Mixed Signals on U.S.-Iran Diplomacy 
Middle East War Rattles Global Markets as Oil Tops $100 and Dollar Surges 
Suspicious Oil Market Trades Precede Trump's Iran Peace Post by 15 Minutes 
UK Consumer Confidence Weakens Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Living Costs 
Japan's Private Sector Growth Slows in March Amid Rising Costs and Middle East Uncertainty 
U.S. Stock Futures Steady as Iran Reviews U.S. Ceasefire Proposal 
Russian stocks closed lower on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index dropping 2.71%, marking a one-month low. The decline was led by sharp losses in the oil, gas, telecom, and mining sectors, reflecting broader market weakness amid falling commodity prices.
Despite the bearish trend, a few stocks managed to post gains. PhosAgro PJSC (MCX:PHOR) rose 1.80% to 5,932.00, supported by investor interest in the fertilizer producer. PIK SHb PJSC (MCX:PIKK) added 1.46%, ending at 501.00, while Magnit PJSC (MCX:MGNT) climbed 1.23% to close at 4,470.00.
However, losses outweighed gains on the Moscow Stock Exchange, with 48 stocks declining compared to 29 gainers. The session’s biggest loser was ADS Ozon Holdings PLC (MCX:OZONDR), plunging 6.30% to 3,486.50. TATNEFT (MCX:TATN) dropped 1.63% to 608.10, and national airline Aeroflot (MCX:AFLT) slipped 1.35% to 65.56.
Volatility eased slightly, with the Russian Volatility Index (RVI) down 0.58% to 49.43, signaling reduced market uncertainty despite the sharp index drop.
Commodity markets also faced heavy selling. Gold futures for June delivery declined 2.76% to $3,035.40 per troy ounce. Crude oil for May delivery plunged 7.41% to $61.99 per barrel, while Brent crude for June shed 6.50% to $65.58.
In currency markets, the US dollar gained ground against the ruble, with USD/RUB rising 0.47% to 84.50. EUR/RUB edged lower by 0.39% to 92.57. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index rose 0.95% to 102.77, reflecting overall greenback strength.
