MOSCOW, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Russian stock markets and the rouble weakened on Monday after news that at least 31 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a suicide bomb blast at Russia's biggest airport Domodedovo. [ID:nLDE70N1JG]
Below is a selection of comments about the investment implications of the incident:
ZSOLT PAPP, UBP ASSET MANAGEMENT, ZURICH
"If it was a terrorist attack then the timing was well chosen, but I don't think any major investor will be deterred by a bomb attack from investing in any major Russian company. Russia is politically a stable country, remarkably stable, and other factors such as the oil price, play a much bigger role. For the kind of privatisation that the government is lining up -- medium to long-term players -- I don't think this will have an impact."
YEVGENY GONTMAKHER, INSTITUTE OF MODERN DEVELOPMENT
"This tragic event will in no way influence Russia's business climate, which is (already) unfavourable. The business climate is determined by more stable circumstances such as corruption and state interference with business, not by one-off events like this"
ALEXEI BACHYURIN, TRADER, RENAISSANCE CAPITAL
"It (the blast) is moving the market in the short term, but there is no fundamental reason for the market to fall. If you remember, the market didn't react strongly to (previous blasts).
It is negative for airlines as it is clear that the rules will be tightened. The market went down as it was ready to go down -- a lot of long positions were opened. All depends now on the United States. If they close up, we will open normally."
FOREX TRADER AT MAJOR RUSSIAN BANK
"If it had been the Kremlin, it would have been a problem (for markets). But when it's a social building like Domodedovo, it is perceived like a separatists' act. It's our reality. Our financial markets do not react to this."
YAROSLAV LISSOVOLIK, CHIEF STRATEGIST, DEUTSCHE BANK
"I don't think there will be a long term effect... We are already seeing some negative impact (on markets), but in the long run there will increased safety measures on flights and in airports. Gradually this negative impact will disappear, as we saw in past episodes of such events."
VLADIMIR BRAGIN, ANALYST, ALFA BANK
"The blast, and the measures the government undertakes, will affect everything: first the transport industry, then infrastructure as a whole, which will in turn affect the oil sector. Additional security measures that may be introduced will probably scare some investors."
ILYA MAKAROV, ANALYST, ATON
"The market reaction was negative. We had fallen by 1.3 percent (before the blast), and now by around 2.2 percent. The market was down because of Sberbank <SBER03.MM> and Aeroflot <AFLT.MM>, which are both state companies and always react first on such news. There are a lot of emotions."
(Reporting by Moscow Newsroom)
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