Derivatives Market participants were trading in September and December RTS index futures – 53,7% and 46,3% of the derivatives trading volume. Open interest volume of RTS index futures exceeded 84,7 million rubles. 62,4% of futures contracts have to be settled in September and 37,6% have to be settled in December.
As a result of Wednesday trading on August 3, following the RTS index decrease (by 1,23% compared to the last hour of Tuesday trading on August 2), futures prices also went down in comparison to prices during the first hour of trading session. September futures decreased by 0,24% in RTS index scale, December futures decreased by 0,32%. Traders are therefore expecting RTS index to reach 798,1 points by mid September and 822,4 points by mid December.
RTS Index Futures provide a wide range of opportunities to hedge stock portfolio risks and to take advantage of broad market movements. These contracts are equally attractive to both small-scale investors and large market participants.
Contract size is defined by multiplying Index value by USD 2. Contracts are quotes in base points of RTS index (100 times RTS index). Final settlement price is defined due to the Index average value calculated during the last trading hour of the last trading day of the contract. Settlement day is the 15th of a settlement month or the first business day following the last trading day.
RTS Index – the official RTS Stock Exchange market indicator – has been the benchmark indicator of the Russian securities market since 1995. The RTS Index is calculated online during trading session on the RTS Classic Market after every change in the price of every security-constituent of the Index (RTS Classic Market is open from 10.30 am to 6.45 pm Moscow time). The Index constituent list consists of 50 stocks issued by leading Russian companies. Data concerning index movements is published on the RTS website, it is transmitted to work placements and it is distributed by information agencies.
