MOSCOW, Aug 26 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble slid 69
percent against the mark in thin trade on Wednesday, fixing at
7.6000 roubles per mark on the Moscow Interbank Currency
Exchange (MICEX) versus 4.4995 roubles to the mark on Tuesday.
Earlier, MICEX suspended rouble-dollar trade after the
rouble fell five percent against its previous dollar fix,
triggering automatic circuit breakers.
The rouble has come under increasing pressure after former
prime minister Sergei Kiriyenko, dismissed on Sunday, gave up
the fight to hold it within an earlier target trading band which
had a stronger rouble-dollar rate.
The outgoing government also declared a 90-day moratorium on
some foreign debt and suspended trade in domestic government
debt pending the restructuring of short term treasury bills
(GKOs) and government bonds (OFZ).
Investors say the moves amount to effective devaluation of
the rouble and default on debts.
((Moscow Newsroom, +7095 941-8520
moscow.newsroom@reuters.com))
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