Russian stocks: Gazprom, Polyus and Yandex in focus

A stream of news — from record gas deliveries to index inclusions and corporate reports — is shaping the MOEX agenda.

Market attention today is focused on energy and technology names following a string of operational and corporate announcements. IMOEX posted a strong weekly move, while individual stocks drew notice for record deliveries, index announcements and financial results.

Gazprom drew attention after Interfax, Smart‑lab and Finam reported a new historical daily record of gas deliveries to China via the Power of Siberia pipeline. The coverage notes this is the third daily record set since the start of the year. At the snapshot the price was 92.14 RUB, 24h −1.16%, volume 10,455,950; price moves can diverge from operational news because of geopolitical and commodity price factors.

Finam named Polyus among leaders of growth amid positive commodity markets, which lines up with the stock’s intraday rise. The snapshot shows a price of 1247 RUB, 24h +1.61%, volume 1,051,498, and MOEX recovered more than 200 points over the week per Finam. Analysts note the risk that commodity strength can be short‑lived and reversible.

Moscow Exchange included Yandex shares in a ‘creation of shareholder value’ index, reported by Smart‑lab and Finam, putting the stock into today’s news flow. The price snapshot shows 3835 RUB, 24h −1.45%, volume 150,948; inclusion in the index does not guarantee immediate inflows, and the share fell 1.45% in the short term, a counter‑signal.

Moscow Exchange was in focus after a strong weekly IMOEX move: Smart‑lab recorded a 10.54% weekly rise to 2,164.85, the strongest since March 2022. Finam also noted the exchange’s inclusion in the shareholder‑value creation index. MOEX shares traded at 155.4 RUB, 24h −0.64%, volume 1,810,820; the strong weekly gain may reflect concentrated short‑term demand.

Finam reports NOVATEK shares fell about 2% after the half‑year report: IFRS net profit in H1 declined by 3.1% while revenue rose 4%. Separately, TotalEnergies intends to exit the Arctic LNG‑2 project and a 10% stake transfer to Nordline is expected. The snapshot shows a price of 1001.7 RUB, 24h −1.7%, volume 596,067; the profit decline and partner‑exit news increase the likelihood of volatility amid an uncertain macro backdrop.

Lukoil was in the news after Smart‑lab and Finam reported that OFAC extended its license to sell foreign assets until Aug. 22; the prior authorization had been due to expire July 25. The share price was 4616 RUB, 24h −2.14%, volume 254,191. The extension provides additional time for foreign transactions but is temporary and future regulatory developments remain uncertain.

CoinDesk and Cointelegraph report Sberbank plans to build crypto‑trading infrastructure by Dec. 1 against the backdrop of new Russian rules on trading, custody and settlement taking effect Sept. 1 and intermediary licensing requirements from July 2027. The snapshot price was 268.87 RUB, 24h +0.47%, volume 8,998,991. The project depends on regulatory timelines and implementation details, creating operational and reputational risks.

According to Smart‑lab, Rostec head Sergey Chemezov said MC‑21 deliveries to Aeroflot will begin in the second half of 2027. The share traded at 31 RUB, 24h −0.39%, volume 7,076,140. The comment relates to the delivery schedule of a key aircraft type, but timelines are subject to production and regulatory risks.

What to watch

To watch: further corporate reports and operational data (including any additional gas delivery records), developments around Arctic LNG‑2 and partner reactions, potential changes in regulatory conditions (license extensions and the timetable for crypto rules), as well as index moves and aircraft delivery news — all of which could shape volatility and attention for the cited stocks.