The benchmark MICEX Index dropped by the most in more than two months Friday after oil fell and China's moves to cool real-estate speculation quelled appetite for riskier assets.
Stocks fell to their lows of the day after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Goldman Sachs Group for fraud tied to packaging and selling collateralized debt obligations.
Rosneft and Gazprom both fell by more than 2 percent. The 30-stock MICEX Index slumped 2.3 percent to 1,495.08 at the close in Moscow, paring its weekly gain to 0.1 percent.
"Oil is lower, and there are external factors such as the fear China is curbing its growth, which will hit a natural resource economy like Russia," said Andrei Kuznetsov, a strategist at Troika Dialog.
China on Friday raised requirements for down payments on some home purchases, fueling speculation that it might tighten policy further to cool growth, slowing a global recovery.
Crude oil fell as much as $2.80, or 3.3 percent, to $82.71 per barrel in New York as the dollar's advance reduced the attraction of commodities as an alternative investment.
Mosenergo retreated to its weakest in more than two weeks, losing 2.5 percent to 3.95 rubles after the Moscow-based electricity generator reported a 19 percent drop in profit last year.
Rajat Gupta, a Goldman Sachs director who will not seek re-election to the U.S. bank's board, remains an independent director on Sberbank's board, Sberbank CEO German Gref told reporters Friday.
"We have no position" on Gupta or Galleon Group, the hedge fund that may have received sensitive information about Goldman, as Sberbank has no information on the matter, Gref said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.