The Central Bank has determined the schedule of OFZ trading on the Moscow Exchange

The Central Bank of the Russian Federation spoke about how the auctions of federal loan bonds (OFZ) will be held, resumed next Monday. This was stated on March 18 in statement regulator.

“Trading will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 Moscow time in the discrete auction mode, then from 13:00 to 17:00 Moscow time in the usual mode. Short selling on such instruments will be prohibited. For other instruments, trading on the Moscow Exchange will take place in a mode similar to March 18, ”the report says.

It is noted that the operating mode of the Moscow Exchange for the following days will be announced later.

The fact that the Central Bank will gradually resume trading on the Moscow Exchange in the stock market section became known on the same day earlier. According to the head of the Central Bank, Elvira Nabiullina, trading on the Moscow Exchange was suspended in order to avoid sharp fluctuations in the value of securities at the time of “an unprecedented change in the economic situation.”

She noted that the Central Bank itself will buy these bonds – to prevent excessive volatility and ensure balanced liquidity in this segment during the period of resumption of trading. Nabiullina clarified that the operations will be carried out in the volumes necessary to prevent risks to financial stability.

After this statement, the ruble sharply strengthened its position against the dollar. The official exchange rate of the dollar against the ruble, set for March 19–21, fell by 84.88 kopecks to 103.9524 rubles. And the euro exchange rate – by 1.5315 rubles, up to 114.3996 rubles.

Also on Friday, the head of the regulator also said that the banking system of the Russian Federation is working without failures, the situation with liquidity has stabilized. According to her, this was possible due to the increase in the key rate to 20% on February 28.

The Bank of Russia took this measure against the background of the tightening of the sanctions policy of the West. New packages of restrictive measures, including the freezing of part of the regulator’s reserves, followed in response to the Russian operation to protect the Donbass.

On the morning of February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an operation in the Donbass to protect civilians. On February 21, he signed decrees recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. The decision was made in connection with the aggravation of the situation in the Donbass, which began on February 17. Then the DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by the Ukrainian security forces, including from heavy weapons. The republics announced a general mobilization and evacuation of civilians to Russia.

For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.