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How to Invest in MOEX Russia Index Funds in 2025
In this guide
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Putting your money into an index is a simple and convenient way to create an investment portfolio, especially if you’re just getting started with investing.
An index, like the MOEX Russia, provides a snapshot of a particular section of the stock market, and by investing in it, you gain exposure to a diverse portfolio of stocks, which can help reduce risk compared to investing in individual companies.
One of the best ways to invest in the MOEX Russia index is through Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs are designed to track the performance of an index and are highly convenient for beginners. They allow you to buy shares in the MOEX Russia with just a few clicks.
Read on to learn how to invest in the MOEX Russia effectively and explore the best methods to do so. Compare different investment strategies, available ETFs and index funds, and find out why MOEX Russia index investing is a low-cost, relatively low-risk approach to growing your wealth over time.
How do I invest in the IMOEX index?
Copy link to sectionThe easiest way is to sign up to a stock broker, open an investment account, and buy shares in an MOEX Russia ETF. This guide explains how to do it:
Step 1. Sign up to FxPro
Copy link to sectionWe recommend using FxPro to invest in MOEX Russia. Create your trading account and deposit some money using a payment method of your choice.
This is a fairly quick process that takes just 15-30 minutes, but you need to supply a form of photo ID to verify the account before you can use it.
Step 2. Decide how to buy MOEX Russia
Copy link to sectionThis boils down to choosing between an MOEX Russia ETF or buying the stocks in the index manually. ETFs are generally better suited to investors who want to passively track the MOEX Russia’s performance. Individual stocks offer a greater range of trading options and flexibility.
Step 3. Invest in the MOEX Russia
Copy link to sectionSign into your trading account and search for the MOEX Russia. Hit the ‘buy’ button and enter the details of your purchase, such as how much you want to spend. Hit ‘buy’ again to execute the trade.
Step 4. Monitor your investment
Copy link to sectionWhen you buy a stock, the trade goes through more or less instantly, and you’ll be able to see your new open position in your trading account. ETF purchases can take longer, and if you buy outside of traditional trading hours it won’t go through until the next morning.
Your trading account will show the price change in the MOEX Russia since you bought it, so you can see your profit/loss at a glance. Use that information, along with your own research, to decide when to sell the MOEX Russia and close your position, ideally at a profit!
How much does it cost to invest in the MOEX Russia index?
Copy link to sectionFrom $0 to $5, depending on how you invest. For each option, you must consider the cost of buying the actual asset, whether that’s an ETF, index fund, CFD*, or share, plus the fees associated with it.
*Note that CFDs are not available to US investors.
ETFs and CFDs are generally the cheapest option overall, as they have low fees and a low minimum investment. Index funds and mutual funds have low fees but may have a high minimum investment. Buying individual stocks is the most expensive option in absolute terms, because the share price of a single large company is often more than $100.
All options are likely to include a trading fee, which you pay each time you make a transaction. Some trading platforms offer zero-fee trading, with others it may be a few dollars.
Then ETFs and index funds each have their own expense ratio. Expense ratios refer to an annual management fee, charged as a percentage of your total investment. Expense ratios are usually no more than 0.05%, so if you invest $1,000, you would pay $5 per year in management fees.
The different ways to invest in the IMOEX
Copy link to sectionAs we mentioned above, there are numerous ways to put your money into the MOEX Russia. ETFs and individual stocks are the simplest options for beginners, but there are alternatives. Here’s a brief overview of each option and who it’s best suited for.
MOEX Russia ETFs
Copy link to sectionAn ETF (exchange-traded fund) is an investment fund traded on a stock exchange, much like a stock. Exchange traded funds can hold different assets, such as individual stocks, bonds, or commodities, or serve as a proxy for a stock market index.
An MOEX Russia ETF is one way of investing in the MOEX Russia. It’s simply an investment fund that mirrors the performance of the MOEX Russia. When you buy shares in the fund, the value of your investment will rise or fall with the MOEX Russia itself.
ETFs are ideal for new investors because they have a very low minimum investment. You can start with a few pounds and get exposure to some of the world’s largest companies. They’re also practical if you plan on trading the MOEX Russia index, because you can buy or sell shares in the fund throughout the day.
MOEX Russia index funds
Copy link to sectionAn index or mutual fund is an investment fund that aims to track the performance of a stock market index, such as the MOEX Russia. It’s very similar to an ETF, in that there are low management fees and you can buy shares through your online broker.
However, there are a couple of differences. MOEX Russia index funds are only priced at the end of each trading day, so you can buy or sell shares in the fund once per day. There may also be a higher barrier to entry, through a much larger minimum investment when you invest in MOEX Russia index funds.
That means an MOEX Russia mutual fund is better suited for long term investors with a higher initial budget, where the infrequent trading and barriers to entry are far less of an issue.
MOEX Russia CFDs (non-US users only)
Copy link to sectionCFDs (contracts for difference) are a way to speculate on MOEX Russia price changes with more flexibility than if you use an ETF or index fund. A CFD is a ‘derivative’, which means it gets its value from the underlying asset – in this case the MOEX Russia – but it’s separate from it.
As a result, CFDs can be leveraged, where you borrow money to multiply the size of the trade, or they can be used to go ‘short’, where you place a trade on the index to fall in value. You can also buy and sell them outside of regular trading hours.
All of this means MOEX Russia CFDs offer the potential to outperform a fund that passively tracks the MOEX Russia’s performance. Of course, you can also underperform it as well. Tools like leverage and shorting introduce a lot more risk, and are best left to experienced traders.
MOEX Russia futures
Copy link to sectionFutures contracts are agreements to buy or sell the IMOEX at an agreed price on a set date in the future. MOEX Russia futures are a means to predict how you think the index is going to perform over a set time frame, such as the next three or six months.
Most futures contracts involve leverage, so you only put up a small part of the total trade value (the margin) when you buy one. That makes futures more risky, and they require a bit more financial expertise to understand as well.
Some traders use futures as a hedge against the performance of stocks they own. For instance, if you own stocks that are part of the MOEX Russia then you might want to short the MOEX Russia so that you still make some money if the price falls.
MOEX Russia stocks
Copy link to sectionAnother way to invest in the MOEX Russia is to buy shares in the individual stocks that the index tracks. It isn’t practical to buy every share in the index, but you can invest directly into a few of the most heavily weighted stocks in the MOEX Russia in order to get broad exposure to its performance.
The most heavily weighted stocks in the MOEX Russia tend to be the largest companies by market capitalisation. If you invest directly in those largest stocks, you gain exposure to the index without taking on the risk of all the underlying companies.
One reason to do this is that these larger companies with the highest market cap dominate the index anyway, so that it can give you the impression of a diversified portfolio while actually being reliant on the performance of those particular stocks.
The flip side of investing directly like this is that you lose the diversification and stability that comes with buying into an entire index. It requires much more hands-on management to do your own stock picking, so it’s best suited to more experienced investors.
Where can I invest in the MOEX Russia index?
Copy link to sectionAccording to our expert research, FxPro is the best ETF broker to invest in MOEX Russia index funds.
Both MOEX Russia ETFs and MOEX Russia CFDs are available to invest in through FxPro .
Here are three more places to buy the MOEX Russia, ranked according to their cost, security, and features.
AvaTrade
Should I invest in the MOEX Russia index?
Copy link to sectionYes, MOEX Russia investing is a great choice if you’re looking for a safer investment with more price stability compared to picking individual stocks. It’s also ideal if you don’t have the time to actively manage a portfolio of stocks, because you can simply invest in a bunch at the same time and then leave it alone.
The flip side is that you have less control over which companies you invest in. An index committee decides how the index works, and you can’t pick and choose the underlying companies you like the most. The MOEX Russia is better suited to hands-off investors, compared to those who have the skills, experience, and desire to pick their own stocks.
What are the advantages of investing in the MOEX Russia index?
Copy link to sectionAn index provides instant stock market diversification, where you spread your risk across a large number of underlying companies, rather than one or two. Here are some more reasons why you might want to invest in the MOEX Russia index:
- Get access to all the leading companies in Russia. The MOEX includes 35 of the largest companies in Russia. Investing in the MOEX provides you with a portfolio that includes all of these companies, so you can take advantage of any and all growth in the Russian economy.
- Energy companies are a major part of the MOEX. The likes of Gazprom and Lukoil dominate the MOEX index, which makes it a great way to invest in energy exporters. Russia – even in wartime – is a major exporter of energy through gas pipelines to the rest of Europe.
- It’s cheaper to invest in the MOEX than to buy individual stocks. Shares in a MOEX ETF are significantly cheaper than buying lots of shares in individual companies. It’s also easier to do so – at least when the ETFs are available to western investors in peacetime.
- The MOEX may increase in value once the war in Ukraine ends. When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, the MOEX’s value plunged. If and when Russia returns to the international fold, the index could recover significantly, which would make this an opportune time to buy the lows.
What are the disadvantages of investing in the MOEX Russia index?
Copy link to sectionThe main risk of investing in the MOEX Russia is that all the underlying companies are related in some way, so a broader economic downturn that affected the entire country would likely affect many stocks in the index at the same time. Here are some more risks of MOEX Russia investing.
- Russian sanctions make it very difficult to invest in the MOEX. Soon after the war began, asset managers began withdrawing their money from the MOEX and stopped offering products like ETFs and funds that invested in it. Western sanctions prevent much investment in the Russian economy.
- It’s very hard to predict the performance of the Russian economy while the war is ongoing. The war adds a layer of volatility and unpredictability that makes investing in the MOEX a risky game. It’s hard to predict how the war will turn out, and what the consequences of any change in the status quo would be.
- Companies on the MOEX operate primarily in Russia and are all interrelated. While the MOEX offers some diversity across sectors, it’s dominated by energy companies that operate in Russia. The index is tied to the performance of the Russian economy, and the energy industry in particular. Anything that affects that industry is likely to affect the index as a whole.
- The Russian government’s actions can impact the MOEX. The Russian state has a lot of control over individual companies, and when the war began it acted quickly to prop up its economic system. Governments can be unpredictable and can pursue courses that don’t necessarily correspond with what’s best for investors.