Today in Russian Business – Dec 8, 2011

In a video interview with Bloomberg, Scott Licamele of Troika Dialog suggests that now is a good time to invest in Russia thanks to a degree of diversification from extractive industries and Russia’s positive WTO prospects.   According to the Moscow Times, Standard & Poor’s has said that Vladimir Putin’s diminished majority could reduce his willingness to introduce the kind of spending cuts required for a higher sovereign rating.  Billionaire Alexander Mamut is apparently seeking to offload his 50.1% stake in Euroset, Russia’s largest mobile-phone retailer.  Russian search engine Yandex has had a buoyant week on the stock market after a British newspaper reported the news that the company will team up with Facebook.  As Evraz and Polymetal International prepare to jump the Russian ship, Bloomberg considers the benefits of joining the FTSE index.  Russia may sell 20 state-owned banks and companies by 2017, says the latest draft of a privatization plan.