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Russian Ruble
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Russia’s ruble has hit its lowest level since the early days of the Ukraine war

Russia’s central bank has halted purchases of foreign currencies in response.

The Russian ruble has plummeted to its weakest level since early 2022, trading at over 114 to the US dollar at one point yesterday — following a drop of over 7% on Wednesday and a 20% decline this year. (The currency traded at around 75-80 to the USD before the war.) The sharp drop in the currency, which is often managed by Russian authorities because of its status as an indicator of the health of the country’s economy, now means that 1,000 rubles buys fewer than $10.

The collapse partly stems from last week’s US Treasury sanctions, which banned Russia’s third-largest lender, Gazprombank — along with over 50 smaller banks — from handling energy-related transactions with US entities. Per Barron’s, wider fears about a sharp escalation of the war in Ukraine have also stoked the ruble’s decline.

Gazprombank has been central to Russia’s energy export payments since March 2022, when Putin required “unfriendly” countries, including the US and EU, to pay for Russian gas in rubles (instead of dollars or euros) via the bank to prop up its currency, which had tumbled shortly after the war began due to Western sanctions. 

In response to the ruble’s steep drop, Russia’s central bank announced yesterday it would halt foreign-currency purchases through the end of the year — an effort to reduce the supply of rubles in the market and thereby support its value. The ruble has since shown a slight recovery, trading at 108.5 as of Thursday, 12:40 p.m. GMT.

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SpaceX gets a wave of bullish ratings from Wall Street analysts

SpaceX received more than a dozen positive analyst calls on Tuesday — including from major Wall Street banks — as they initiate coverage on Elon Musk’s space and AI company.

SpaceX went public on June 12 at a $2.2 trillion valuation, the largest debut in history. While the company hasn’t yet posted a profit, it seems to have convinced Wall Street that it will get there and grow its valuation on the way.

Of the at least 17 analysts that gave a rating on Tuesday, all but one gave it a “buy” or “outperform” rating. MoffettNathanson was "neutral."

The ratings come as SpaceX joined the Nasdaq 100 index, a benchmark tech-heavy basket of companies that underpins millions of portfolios. The inclusion adds built-in demand for the stock from index funds and ETFs.

Still, SpaceX fell more than 5% on Tuesday amid a broader sell-off, and is currently effectively flat from its opening price of $150 a share.

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Nike sinks to lowest level since 2014 after warning of “challenged” sales environment in Q4 report

Did Nike do it?

Investors had a mixed reaction after the global sports apparel company reported its fourth quarter earnings on Tuesday after the bell. Shares initially rose 5% as Nike beat out Wall Street expectations amid a hefty tariff refund bonus. However, the stock then sank to its lowest level since August 2014 in postmarket trading.

Here are the Q4 numbers:

  • Revenue of $11.0 billion (estimate: $10.8 billion).

  • Adjusted earnings per share of $0.20 (estimate: $0.12).

Ahead of this report, Nike warned that results would be flattered by a one-time tariff refund (now estimated at roughly $0.52 per share for the bottom line). That gave the company an extra cushion in snapping its streak of seven quarters of year-over-year profit declines.

Over the past year, the company had been punished by tariffs on imported goods, stagnant consumer spending, and increasing competition from other footwear brands like New Balance, Adidas, and Hoka.

Outgoing CFO Matthew Friend deemed it an “increasingly challenging operating environment, where sell-through remains challenged.”

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Rocket Lab deal lifts space stocks

Shares of Rocket Lab are surging after announcing an $8 billion acquisition of satellite communications operator Iridium Communications, helping lift a broader basket of space-related stocks as investors piled back into the sector.

Planet Labs, AST SpaceMobile and Redwire all traded higher alongside Rocket Lab, extending gains in an industry that has drawn enhanced investor attention in recent months in light of the strategic importance that governments place on space and satellite communications infrastructure.

In a presentation, Rocket Lab’s management called the purchase “a shortcut” for its satellite communications business.

Under the terms of the agreement, Iridium shareholders will receive $27 in cash and Rocket Lab stock, valuing Iridium at $54 per share. Backed by a $3.6 billion bridge loan committed by Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo, Rocket Lab absorbs Iridium’s globally licensed spectrum and an active base of 2.5 million subscribers.

Rocket Lab has also remained one of the most active launch providers in the sector. The company completed its 12th launch of the year last week, maintaining one of the highest launch cadences among commercial space companies.

Today's rally helps offset a brutal stretch for the group. Rocket Lab shares had fallen over 35% over the prior month, while Planet Labs stock was down more than 40% and AST SpaceMobile stock was down around 30% over the same window.

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