RTS Index celebrates 25 years

The RTS Index was launched on 1 September 1995, and quickly became the major benchmark of the Russian stock market. From a base value of 100, the index has grown more than 12 times since its inception, and currently stands at 1,280.

The RTS Index reached its peak on 19 May 2008, hitting 2,487.92, and hit its lowest point on 5 October 1998, falling to 38.53. Its best year was 1999, when it rose 197% in 12 months.

The RTS Index originally included 13 companies: RAO UES, Irkutskenergo, Kamaz, Komineft, Lukoil, Mosenergo, Norilsk Nickel, Noyabrskneftegas, Purneftegas, Rostelecom, Surgutneftegas, Tomskneft and Yuganskneftegas. The Index had the greatest number of constituents in the first half of 1998, when all shares admitted to trading on the exchange were also in the Index.

Since the merger of Russia’s two leading exchanges in 2012, the country’s two major equities benchmarks – the MOEX Russia Index and the RTS Index – have been unified to include the same pool of securities. Currently, they both include the 38 most liquid shares of Russia’s largest public companies. The MOEX Russia Index is rouble-denominated, while the RTS Index is a dollar-denominated gauge.

The RTS Index futures contract, launched in 2005, is one of the most popular exchange-traded index instruments. It is also MOEX’s most liquid contract, ranked among the world’s top-20 most liquid index derivatives contracts according to the Futures Industry Association (FIA).

In 2018, MOEX launched trading in RTS Index ETFs managed by FinEx ETF and ITI Capital. Their total net asset value is RUB 3 billion or USD 41 million. Previously, the RTS Index was also used as an underlying index for international financial products, ETFs, and structured products by BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, JP Morgan, RBS and Nomura.

Moscow Exchange is planning a series of events to celebrate the RTS Index’s 25-year anniversary.

Highlights:

Companies with the longest track record in the RTS Index:

Lukoil, Surgutneftegas, Norilsk Nickel, Rostelecom

Largest RTS Index companies by market cap:

• Sberbank – RUB 5.20 trln
• Gazprom – RUB 4.35 trln
• Rosneft – RUB 4.05 trln

Largest RTS Index companies by free float:

• Magnit – 71%
• Moscow Exchange – 63%

Average daily turnover in RTS Index futures in 2020: RUB 108 bln

Average daily turnover in RTS Index shares in 2020: RUB 83 bln