Ruble Gains Third Day Against Basket, Bond Yields Fall on Crude

The ruble appreciated for a third day against the central bank’s target dollar-euro basket and yields on Russia’s international debt declined as oil, the country’s main export, advanced.

The ruble rose as much as 0.3 percent before trading up less than 0.1 percent at 35.4463 against the basket by the 7 p.m. close in Moscow, its strongest level since July 20. The country’s $3.5 billion of dollar notes due April 2020 rose, cutting the yield by five basis points, or 0.05 percentage point, to 3.041 percent.

Urals crude oil, Russia’s main export, climbed 0.2 percent to $106.68 per barrel on speculation that European policy makers will act to boost growth. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is trying to build a consensus among governments and central bankers for a plan to ease borrowing costs in Spain and Italy before ECB policy makers meet Aug. 2.

“Oil is holding up well,” Andrey Volkov, head of foreign exchange and money markets at ZAO Natexis Bank in Moscow, said by e-mail. “The euro-dollar rate is in a supportive mood so far.”

The ruble gained 0.5 percent to 39.42 per euro and lost 0.4 percent to 32.195 against the dollar. Investors increased bets on the currency weakening, with non-deliverable forwards showing it at 32.6814 per dollar in three months, compared with expectations of 32.535 per dollar on July 27.

To contact the reporter on this story: Jack Jordan in Moscow at jjordan22@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Gavin Serkin at gserkin@bloomberg.net