RSM Indonesia, one of Indonesia's leading audit, tax and financial advisory firms, expects to see more mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in Indonesia in 2016 due to the improving global and domestic economic conditions, a stable rupiah exchange rate, and Indonesian's growing purchasing power. For foreign investors a M&A deal is one of the strategies to enter Indonesia. Up to early November, the total value of M&A deals in Indonesia in 2015 stood at USD $3.53 billion.

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The El Nino-inflicted dry weather in Indonesia and Malaysia, possibly the worst in nearly two decades, is expected to curtail crude palm oil (CPO) output in both countries, implying that palm oil prices can extend their rally into next year. Moreover, Indonesia will consume more CPO as the government will raise the mandatory amount of palm oil blended with diesel from 15 to 20 percent (part of its B20 biofuel program) in early 2016. Since August - when prices were at a six-year low - palm oil futures have surged 26 percent.

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Indonesian oil & gas exploration and production firm Medco Energi Internasional is reportedly eager to acquire a majority stake in copper and gold miner Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT), subsidiary of the US-based mining giant Newmont Mining Corp, which operates the Batu Hijau copper and gold mine on Sumbawa (West Nusa Tenggara). On Wednesday (25/11), the Medco Group informed Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Rizal Ramli that a MoU has already been signed between Medco and NNT to purchase a 76 percent stake, valued at USD $2.2 billion.

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New York-based Fitch Ratings, one of the three major global credit rating agencies, expects demand growth in Indonesia's life and non-life insurance sectors to occur over the medium term on the country's (currently still) low insurance penetration rate, improving risk awareness, and the expanding middle class segment within the rising population of Southeast Asia's largest economy. Meanwhile, the credit rating agency believes Indonesia's car and motorcycle sales will remain under pressure in 2016 due to weak consumer spending.

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