MOSCOW, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble traded near a more than one-week low on Thursday, hovering around the 91 mark to the dollar while waiting for support from month-end corporate taxes.
At 0709 GMT, the rouble was 0.2% stronger against the dollar at 90.77, earlier hitting 91.1875, its weakest point since Dec. 11.
It had gained 0.3% to trade at 99.39 versus the euro and firmed 0.3% against the yuan to 12.70 .
Next week's tax period that usually sees exporters convert foreign currency revenues to pay local liabilities should boost the rouble, as does the relative recovery in oil prices, said Alor Broker's Alexei Antonov.
"However, the impression is forming that most major exporters have already accumulated the bulk of roubles for tax payments," he added, expecting the rouble to weaken towards 92.5 to the dollar before the end of the year.
The rouble typically struggles in December as citizens tend to buy foreign currency ahead of Russia's long New Year holidays in January.
Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was unchanged at $79.73 a barrel.
Since October and the rouble's most recent slide to 100 against the dollar, a presidential decree forcing exporters to convert some foreign currency revenue has provided support, as have elevated interest rates.
The Bank of Russia said its rate hiking cycle may be near completion as it raised its key interest rate by 100 basis points to 16% last week, increasing borrowing costs for the fifth consecutive meeting in response to stubborn inflation.
Russian stock indexes were lower.
The dollar-denominated RTS index was down 0.5% to 1,070.0 points. The rouble-based MOEX Russian index was 0.7% lower at 3,083.2 points.
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(Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)
