According to the expert, at the moment for the Russian ruble the main factor is the resumption of foreign currency sales by the Ministry of Finance within the framework of the budget rule.
“These interventions will support the ruble exchange rate, which may strengthen even more next week, to the level of 66-66.5 rubles per dollar,” Sidorov explained.
He also noted that the sale of foreign currency traditionally supports the ruble, and oil quotes "in such a situation are of less importance for the national currency."
“During the last ten days of January, the ruble may also show growth against the dollar, since the tax period will come when there is a high demand for ruble liquidity.
Exporting companies sell foreign currency to transfer taxes to the budget.
So January for the ruble may end with a new round of strengthening to around 65 rubles per dollar,” the investor concluded.
Earlier, Georgy Ostapkovich, director of the Center for Market Research at the Institute for Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge, NRU HSE, explained the fall of the dollar below 68 rubles.