Besides the impressive number of IPOs in Indonesia, another good result was that Indonesia’s benchmark Jakarta Composite Index (in Indonesian: Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan, or IHSG) only fell 2.54 percent over full-year 2018. Indeed, it is not positive to see shares in the red zone or foreign investors selling more Indonesian stocks than they buy – with foreign investors selling a (mild) net IDR 50.75 billion (approx. USD $3.5 million) over 2018. But if we put Indonesia’s performance in perspective, then it suddenly looks much rosier.

Headlines in American newspapers state that 2018 was the worst for stocks in a decade, with December 2018 in particular being a dreadful month (when the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 both lost around 9 percent). As a result, the Dow Jones finished 2018 with a loss of 5.6 percent (its worst performance since a 33.8 percent drop in 2008), while the broad S&P 500 stock index fell 6.2 percent in 2018, also its worst performance in a decade.

But it is interesting to point out that these benchmark US stock indices also touched record highs in 2018. The S&P 500 set an all-time record on 20 September 2018, while the Dow Jones closed at a record on 3 October 2018. This means there has been extreme volatility in markets.

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This articles discusses:

the external and internal factors that have influenced stock markets in 2018
an overview of the performance of Indonesia's benchmark stock index
an overview of companies that made their trading debuts in Indonesia in 2018
the advantages and disadvantages of an IPO
why companies' shares tend to surge on the first trading day, but later fall
strategies of the Indonesia Stock Exchange to attract more IPOs in 2019

Read the full article in the December 2018 edition of our monthly research report. You can purchase this report by sending an email to info@indonesia-investments.com or a WhatsApp message to the following number: +62(0)8788.410.6944

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