MOSCOW, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble held
steady against both the U.S. dollar and the Chinese yuan on
Thursday as increased forex sales and higher oil prices offset
the impact of U.S. energy sanctions.
The rouble traded at 102.60 to the dollar at 0945 GMT,
unchanged from the previous day, over-the-counter market data
showed. The rouble was flat at 13.83 against the yuan in trading
on the Moscow Stock Exchange (MOEX).
Under a complex scheme of market operations the central bank
buys and sells yuan, the only major foreign currency it can now
hold, increasing the net sales when necessary to ensure
sufficient supply of the currency on the market.
Net sales of the yuan by the central bank have increased by
almost one third since Jan. 15, providing support for the rouble
and countering the impact of the U.S. energy sanctions, imposed
last week.
Prices for oil, Russia's main export commodity, steadied on
Thursday a day after settling at multi-month highs.
One-day rouble/dollar futures, which trade on MOEX and are a
guide for the over-the-counter exchange rate, were also flat at
103.65. The Russian central bank set the official exchange rate
at 102.81.