Asian Stocks Gain Amid Iran Conflict Uncertainty 
Bank of Japan Officials Signal Continued Interest Rate Hikes Amid Inflation Concerns 
Iran-Israel Missile Strikes Continue Amid Mixed Signals on U.S.-Iran Diplomacy 
Gold Prices Climb as Middle East Ceasefire Talks Stir Market Optimism 
Oil Prices Climb as Iran Reviews U.S. Peace Proposal Amid Middle East Tensions 
Suspicious Oil Market Trades Precede Trump's Iran Peace Post by 15 Minutes 
U.S. Oil Prices Slide as Middle East Ceasefire Talks Spark Market Optimism 
Bank of Japan Unveils New Inflation Gauge to Support Case for Future Rate Hikes 
ECB Eyes Rate Hike Amid Iran Conflict-Driven Energy Price Surge 
Wall Street Slides as Iran War Uncertainty, Oil Surge, and AI Fears Rattle Markets 
Australia's Inflation Eases in February but Core Pressures Persist 
Gold Prices Surge on U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Reports 
Trump Tariffs Show Minimal Economic Impact but Boost Federal Revenue, Study Finds 
Japan Eyes Oil Futures Intervention to Stabilize Yen Amid Middle East Crisis 
Russian stocks closed slightly lower on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index remaining flat at 0.00%, hitting a new six-month low amid weak market sentiment.
Despite the stagnant index, some individual stocks showed resilience. Aluminum giant OK Rusal MKPAO (MCX:RUAL) rose 1.15% to 28.05, while steelmaker Magnitogorskiy Metallurgicheskiy Kombinat (MCX:MAGN) added 1.05%, closing at 31.68. Fertilizer producer PhosAgro PJSC (MCX:PHOR) also gained 1.00%, ending at 5,881.00.
On the downside, Moskovskiy Kreditnyi Bank (MCX:CBOM) slipped 0.71% to 6.55. Mobile operator Mobil’nye Telesistemy PJSC (MCX:MTSS) declined 0.46% to 192.75, and gold miner Polyus PJSC (MCX:PLZL) fell 0.32% to 1,784.20.
Market breadth remained positive with 87 advancing stocks versus 49 decliners, while 8 closed unchanged. The Russian Volatility Index (RVI), which tracks expected volatility on MOEX options, remained steady at 31.83.
Commodity markets provided a mixed backdrop. Gold futures for August delivery climbed 1.15% to $3,364.00 per troy ounce, reflecting stronger safe-haven demand. Crude oil futures for August surged 2.82% to $68.45 per barrel, while Brent crude for September delivery advanced 2.51% to $70.36, signaling increased confidence in energy markets.
In currency trading, the Russian ruble weakened against major peers. The USD/RUB pair rose 0.53% to 77.96, while EUR/RUB climbed 0.44% to 91.14. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index Futures edged higher by 0.22%, settling at 97.53.
While the MOEX Russia Index struggled, selective gains in commodities and individual equities highlighted mixed investor sentiment amid broader market uncertainty.
