MOSCOW, August 6. /TASS/. The ruble-denominated Moscow Exchange (MOEX) Index slid 0.69% to finish Thursday's main trading session at 2,285.88 points, while the dollar-denominated RTS Index shed 1.27% to close at 884.56 points. The Chinese yuan edged up 9 kopecks to 12.08 rubles.

"The MOEX Index briefly ticked up to 2,316 points today, but failed to sustain those intraday gains," Andrey Smirnov, a stock market expert at BCS World of Investments, noted. "On the one hand, external market conditions favored buying as oil prices rebounded back above $80 per barrel and the ruble showed weakness. On the other hand, reports that the United Kingdom is expanding its anti-Russian sanctions prompted some investors to lock in profits."

"Softline shares (+9.2%) staged a robust rally despite the broader market decline, likely fueled by anticipation of strong second-quarter 2026 IFRS financial results due late this month," Natalia Milchakova, leading analyst at Freedom Global, said.

According to her, Rusagro IPJSC shares led the declines, plummeting 13.7% following the shareholder register closure for a special dividend payout.

BCS World of Investments expects the battle for the 2,300-point threshold on the MOEX Index to persist, though the upcoming weekend may dampen overall trading volumes. Analysts project the ruble to trade between 80.5-82.5 rubles per US dollar and 11.9-12.2 rubles per yuan by Friday's close.

Meanwhile, Freedom Global forecasts the MOEX Index to fluctuate within the 2,250-2,350 point range on Friday. Its exchange rate projections stand at 80-82 rubles per dollar, 92.5-94.5 rubles per euro, and 11.9-12.2 rubles per yuan.