Russian investors and stock players during trading on Friday, September 30, sharply dumped their currency positions in dollars and euros and shifted to the Chinese yuan. Rates of "unfriendly" currencies collapsed by 6-6.5%. This is evidenced by trading data on the Moscow Exchange.
The dollar during the auction fell to 54.16 rubles, the euro – up to 51.58 rubles. At the same time, the maximum recorded during the trading session was 57.9 rubles per dollar and 56 rubles per euro – thus, the American currency lost 3.74 rubles during the day, the European one – 4.42 rubles. Against this background, the rate of the Chinese yuan jumped significantly: the fixed minimum of the Chinese currency during trading was 8.017 rubles, the maximum was 8.19 rubles.
It is noteworthy that other currencies of "friendly" countries were not in such demand on the Moscow Exchange. The Hong Kong dollar is falling with about the same dynamics as Western currencies: at a minimum, it was trading in the region of 7.51 rubles with a daily high of 7.688. The negative dynamics of the exchange rate was also recorded for the Turkish lira (-3%) to 2.99 rubles, the Kazakh tenge (-2.11%) to 0.12 rubles.
Of the currencies of “friendly countries”, whose currencies are traded on the Moscow Exchange, the Belarusian ruble (+0.87%) to 24.01 Russian rubles and the Armenian dram (+1.4%) to 0.1489 rubles are traded positively against the ruble.
The Chinese yuan usually followed the dollar and the euro, the volatility of the instrument could be lower, but the overall dynamics of the exchange rate was about the same as that of “unfriendly currencies”. The divergence of exchange rates of this magnitude occurs for the first time. The trigger for the sale of dollars and euros on the Moscow Exchange could be the upcoming decision of the political leadership of Russia to annex the occupied Ukrainian territories, which could lead to the imposition of sanctions against the National Clearing Center (NCC). Restrictions against this institution will lead to the actual blocking of dollar accounts and stop exchange trading in the dollar in Russia.