Credit: REUTERS/SERGEI KARPUKHINMOSCOW, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble opened firmer on Thursday, awaiting news from today's European Central Bank meeting and with one eye on Friday's expected key rate cut by the Russian central bank.
At 0754 GMT, the rouble was 0.2% stronger against the dollar at 63.84 RUBUTSTN=MCX and flat against the euro, trading at 71.14 EURRUBTN=MCX.
Brent crude oil LCOc1, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was down 0.4% at $60.9 a barrel.
The central bank has strongly signalled its intention to lower the key interest rate from 7%, with analysts at Sberbank, Russia's largest lender, and Goldman Sachs among those forecasting a 50 basis point cut on Friday.
In the local market, the rouble should receive support from month-end tax payments that usually prompt export-focused companies to convert part of their foreign currency revenues to meet local liabilities.
Yields on Russia's 10-year OFZ treasury bonds, which move inversely to their price, have been reaching new lows all week, briefly dropping to 6.44% on Thursday, the lowest since May 2013. RU10YT=RR
Russian stock indexes were up. The dollar-denominated RTS index .IRTS was up 0.4% to 1,397.1 points. The rouble-based MOEX Russian index .IMOEX was 0.4% higher at 2,833.4 points.
Shares in TCS Group Holding PLC TCSq.L, owner of Tinkoff Bank, rose for the fifth consecutive session, gaining 1.9% on Thursday, ahead of the group's listing of its Global Depositary Receipts on the Moscow Exchange MOEX.MM on Oct. 28.
"This is very positive news for TCS Group, as its liquidity will improve and its investor base will expand," Aton Research said in a note. "Local investors will welcome the opportunity to add this stock to their investment portfolios."
Shares in state-owned VTB Bank VTBR.MM, Russia's second largest lender, underperformed, falling 0.5%, after CEO Andrei Kostin said the company may make some military-loan write-offs, which analysts at Aton Research said might undermine VTB's dividend targets.
For Russian equities guide see RU/EQUITY
For Russian treasury bonds see 0#RUTSY=MM
(Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Catherine Evans)
((alexander.marrow@thomsonreuters.com; +7 495 775 1242;))
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