Russia-NATO clashes might scare off investors, SKB-Bank says

‘The Russian stock market is getting livelier again after the summer recess has come to an end and the investors are starting to buy more shares and bonds. At the moment, the market’s main influence is the world’s becoming more or less politically stable (mainly after Russia and the West came to terms with the war in the Caucasus) and the going down of Russian shares’ listings,’ SKB-Bank’s Trading Operations Director Evgeniy Batuyev said to an UrBC reporter.

‘At the same time, the U.S. economy still looks very alarming, whereas Russia’s relations with NATO and G8 members are currently far from being clear. These factors might actually scare off both Russian and foreign investors,’ he added.

‘To sum it all up, I believe the Russian stock market is going to fluctuate for the next ten to fifteen days or so and might actually win back 5% to 10%. In the long run, however, things will depend on the global events. If the conflict in the Caucasus comes to a resolution, the market is highly likely to grow again, given especially the support of the stable oil prices,’ Batuyev observed.

‘The unpredictability of current events might make the investors want to protect their capital through directing money elsewhere. It might be a good idea for private investors who can’t keep a close eye on the stock market all the time to invest in less risky assets like bank deposits or corporate bonds which guarantee you some income in any case,’ the bank executive remarked.