RTS Index Hits The All-Time High

At closing, October 1, 2003, the RTS Index reached the all-time high of 573,85 points, having exceeded the previous maximum of 571,66 points reached on October 6th, 2003. The market was driven up by the oil companies - "Surgutneftegaz", "YUKOS", "Sibneft", "LUKoil" and RAO "UES of Russia".

The Index gained 1,28% on last closing and increased 44,7% on the year (as of January 2003 RTS index equaled 396.56).

The Classic market volume on October 1,2003, equaled 26 million US dollars. The RTS Index, the benchmark Russian securities market indicator, has been calculated from September 1, 1995, based on the prices of the most liquid stocks traded on the RTS Stock Exchange. The initial value of the Index was set at 100 points, the previous maximum equaled 571, 66 (October 6th, 1997), the previous minimum - 37, 74 (October 2nd, 1998). The index is calculated on thirty-minute intervals during the trading session in the real-time mode. The RTS index is published on the RTS Stock Exchange Web site, is broadcasted to the RTS workstations and disseminated by the world's leading information agencies.