Mysterious sell-off: Gazprom shares tumble after Putin-Trump call
An unknown investor sold a package of Gazprom shares worth approximately 12 million rubles (around 143,000 dollars) on the Moscow stock exchange during phone negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Russian stock exchange plunged into the red, with the ruble also losing value.
The mysterious investor began selling shares about an hour after the leaders' conversation began, as reported by the Moscow Times. In less than a minute, they offloaded a package worth around 7 million rubles (around 84,000 dollars), causing a temporary dip in Gazprom's stock by 3.3 percent—from 173.1 to 167.5 rubles (2,07 to 2,01 dollars) per share. Soon after, the price returned to 172.1 rubles (2,06 dollars).
A similar situation occurred just fifteen minutes after the negotiations concluded. Another sale of shares by the Russian gas giant, this time valued at about 5 million rubles (60,000 dollars), caused a brief drop in trading by 2.6 percent — from 173.5 to 169 rubles (2,08 to 2,02 dollars) per share.
Results of the talks and market reaction
Following the talks, the Kremlin reported that Russia agreed to mutually cease attacks on energy facilities. However, Russian authorities stressed that for a complete ceasefire, as proposed by Trump, "a complete cessation of foreign military aid" is necessary, reports The Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated shortly after the negotiations that his country supports a 30-day cessation of attacks on energy infrastructure. However, he added, "Putin wants to take several offensive actions in the Zaporizhia direction, in the east, in the Kharkiv and Sumy directions. For what? In order to put maximum pressure on Ukraine and then put forward ultimatums from a position of strength."
Russian stock exchange loses, ruble declines
After the talks between the leaders of Russia and the USA, stocks on the Moscow stock exchange began to lose value. Gazprom's shares dropped by 2.54 percent, VTB by 2.6 percent, Rosneft by 0.8 percent, Sberbank by 0.5 percent, Norilsk Nickel by 1.5 percent, and Rostelecom lost 1.6 percent.
On Wednesday, the Russian stock market MOEX is experiencing significant declines. Most companies listed on the Moscow exchange are losing value, with the steepest declines recorded by KubanEnergy (-5.47 percent), Kazan Syntheses (-1.70 percent), and Rusolovo Pao (-1.65 percent). Significant companies like Alrosa (-1.58 percent), Gazprom (-0.86 percent), and Rosneft (-0.77 percent) are also posting losses. In total, more than 40 companies are in the red, while only a dozen entities show gains, including Rosseti Sibir' (4.12 percent) and RKK Energiya (5.03 percent). The declines affect almost all sectors of the economy, with a particular emphasis on energy, metallurgy, and the financial sector.
The ruble also experienced a change in its exchange rate. The Russian currency is losing over 1 percent against the dollar on Thursday, reversing Wednesday's trend when the ruble was strongly gaining, with the change in value against the dollar exceeding 2.5 percent.
