Russian stocks experienced a significant surge of 6.6 percent at the opening of the Moscow Exchange following a phone call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. This uptick in the market was a continuation of the positive momentum from the previous day, as reported by Interfax. The initial moments of trading saw both the RTS and MOEX indices rise by 6.6 percent compared to the previous day’s close. Subsequently, the MOEX index settled at 3,224.38 points, with the RTS reaching 1,080.03. As the morning progressed, by 10:33 a.m., the MOEX index stood at 3,148.14 points, and the RTS at 1,057.31.

Reports from Kommersant highlighted that the collective market capitalization of Russian stocks, as indicated by the MOEX index, had escalated to 7.05 trillion rubles ($82.9 billion) by 9:00 a.m. This marked an increase of 0.5 trillion rubles ($5.5 billion) since the previous day’s trading session. Notably, prominent Russian companies witnessed substantial gains during this period, with Novatek surging by 9.6 percent, Gazprom by 8.4 percent, Rostelecom by 8.2 percent, Aeroflot by 8.2 percent, Rosneft by 7.6 percent, Sberbank by 7.5 percent, and Lukoil by 6.9 percent.

Concurrently, the U.S. dollar experienced a decline to 89 rubles on the Forex market, marking its lowest level since September 2024. Ekaterina Krylova, the managing expert at the PSB Analytics and Expertise Center, attributed the market’s positive performance to a renewed sense of “geopolitical optimism” following the Putin-Trump dialogue. Yaroslav Kabakov, the strategy director at Finam, concurred with this sentiment, emphasizing the impact of discussions around a potential resolution in Ukraine and Trump’s statements advocating for a peaceful settlement, which instilled hope among investors for de-escalation. Analysts viewed the prospect of revived international transactions as particularly beneficial for export-driven enterprises.

The communication between Trump and Putin, wherein they agreed to “start negotiations immediately” to address the conflict in Ukraine, played a pivotal role in fostering a positive market sentiment. The overall market response reflected optimism regarding the potential for peace talks and a reduction in geopolitical tensions. This development not only influenced the stock market but also had repercussions on currency exchange rates, underscoring the interconnectedness of global political events and financial markets.