Increased volumes make “total sense with the Russian- Ukraine angst,” Dave Lutz, the head of ETF trading and strategy at Stifel Nicolaus & Co. in Baltimore, wrote in an e-mail. “RSX volumes were elevated prior to the Olympics -- and there was some heavy options activity then as well -- but of course Ukraine is the reason. As the tension dissipates, so will the volumes.”
The dollar-denominated RTS Index added 0.2 percent today, paring its decline this week to 6.5 percent. Futures on the RTS gauge retreated 0.3 percent to 117,590 in U.S. hours. The RTS Volatility Index, which measures expected swings in futures, climbed 2.7 percent to 51.72 yesterday.
United Co. Rusal, a Moscow-based aluminum producer, jumped 3.8 percent to HK$2.74 in Hong Kong trading, poised for the largest gain since Jan. 24. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index added 0.8 percent.