Russian markets -- Factors to Watch on March 20

MOSCOW, March 20 (Reuters) - Here are events and news
stories that could move Russian markets on Friday.

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STOCKS CALL (Contributions to moscow.newsroom@reuters.com):

Troika Dialog - We are opening our prices down 1 percent and
expect some profit-taking in the morning

Olma - The Russian market may stop rising at the beginning
of trade today, following global markets, but if the external
background does not deteriorate, the RTS index may rise above
the 700-point level.

EVENTS [RU-DIA] (All times GMT):

MOSCOW - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to hold a meeting
with members of Security Council

MOSCOW - Russian Economy Minister Elvira Nabiullina and
Finnish Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Vayrynen to
participate in an inter-governmental committee meeting

MOSCOW - EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to meet
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin and Energy Minister
Sergei Shmatko

MOSCOW - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov to
give a press conference ahead of G20 meeting (0800)

MOSCOW - The head of Russia;s anti-monopoly service, Igor
Artemyev, to give a press conference (0800)

MOSCOW - Conference on development financing in terms of
crisis (0700). LINK: prodevelopment.ru/

MOSCOW - International Chemical Summit (final day). LINK:
www.chemsummit.ru/

IN THE PAPERS [PRESS/RU]:

Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov is in talks to buy
40-45 percent of housing developer PIK (PIKK.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) (PKGPq.L: Quote, Profile, Research),
Vedomosti business daily reports. [ID:nLK617767]

TOP STORIES IN RUSSIA AND THE CIS [RU-NEWS]:
TOP NEWS:
* Russia clears anti-crisis budget, more jobs lost[ID:nLJ964299]

COMPANIES/MARKETS:
* VTB to return subordinated loan from issue [ID:nLJ965245]
* X5 may buy out more franchisees, cuts prices [ID:nLJ483147]
* ArcelorMittal to cut costs at Siberian mines [ID:nLJ417076]
* Sibir Airline restructures part of debt [ID:nLJ68628]
* Mechel sues BNP Paribas for freezing account [ID:nLJ643770]

ECONOMY/POLITICS:
* FinMin says no decision yet on Sberbank loan [ID:nLJ118515]
* Russia should not rush to print money - Putin [ID:nLJ962108]
* China backs Russia's new currency drive [ID:nLJ936330]
* C.bank says may cut rates in Q2 [ID:nLJ579422]

COMMODITIES:
* INTERVIEW-Kazakhstan eyes more grain exports [ID:nLJ054921]
* INTERVIEW-PAVA eyes investors in Russia land [ID:nLJ426978]
* March wheat exports seen up on month [ID:nLJ14972]
* Russia govt buys 86,940 T grain via intervention[ID:nLJ933949]

MARKETS CLOSE/LATEST:

RTS .IRTS 694.7 +6.8 pct

MSCI Russia .MIRU00000PUS 428.5 +8.0 pct

MSCI Emerging Markets .MSCIEF 533.9 -0.6 pct

Russia 30-year EurobondRU011428878= yield: 8.791/8.429 pct

EMBI+ Russia 11EMJ 578 basis points over

Rouble/dollar RUBUTSTN=MCX 33.8222

Rouble/euro EURRUBTN=MCX 45.5600

NYMEX crude CLc1 $51.03 -$1.12

ICE Brent crude LCOc1 $50.31 -$0.36

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