Kebanyakan indeks saham Asia menguat pada hari Rabu, dipimpin oleh Indeks Nikkei 225 di Jepang yang naik 2,70% karena prediksi akan adanya tindakan-tindakan stimulus dari Pemerintah. Sementara itu, Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) naik 1,09% menjadi 4.223,91 poin karena didukung oleh indeks-indeks saham yang naik di wilayah ini. Sementara itu, rupiah menguat 0,26% menjadi Rp 14.653 per dollar Amerika Serikat (Bloomberg Dollar Index).

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Saham-saham Indonesia mengalami sebuah perjalanan ‘roller coaster’ pada hari Selasa (29/09). Setelah waktu pembukaan, Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) jatuh lebih dari 2% mendekati level terendah selama tiga tahun terakhir. Kendati begitu, indeks ini berhasil ditutup pada 4.178,41 poin dalam perdagangan hari ini, naik 1,41%. Sementara itu, rupiah berhasil memotong kerugiannya. Berdasarkan Bloomberg Dollar Index, rupiah melewati batas Rp 14.800 per dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) beberapa kali namun pada akhir hari hanya melemah 0,11% menjadi Rp 14.691 per dollar AS.

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Dalam rangka mendukung rupiah yang sedang lemah, Badan Usaha Milik Negara (BUMN) Pertamina akan memotong pembelian langsung foreign exchange (forex) di pasar sebanyak sekitar 50%. Pertamina bersama dengan BUMN Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) berkontribusi sekitar setengah dari transaksi sehari forex karena perusahaan-perusahaan ini membutuhkan dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) untuk pembelian bahan bakar dan pembayaran hutang luar negeri.

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Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) turun lebih dari 2%, menyentuh level terendah selama tiga tahun terakhir, sementara rupiah melemah melewati batas level Rp 14.800 per dollar Amerika Serikat (Bloomberg Dollar Index) pada pukul 09:00 Waktu Indonesia Barat (WIB) pada hari Selasa (29/09) karena penjualan saham besar-besaran terus berlanjut. Para investor kuatir mengenai kondisi ekonomi di Republik Rakyat Tiongkok (RRT) dan dunia serta rendahnya harga-harga komoditi, sambil mengantisipasi kenaikan Fed Fund Rate.

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Indeks-indeks saham di Asia menunjukkan hasil yang bercampur antara baik dan buruk di hari perdagangan pertama minggu ini. Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) jatuh 2,11% menjadi 4.120,50 poin (terendah dalam dua tahun terakhir), sementara rupiah (secara tidak terduga) menguat 0,13% menjadi Rp 14.674 per dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) menurut Bloomberg Dollar Index. Sementara itu, pasar-pasar Eropa turun setelah dibuka pada hari Senin (28/09). Apa yang mempengaruhi pasar hari ini?

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Indonesia berencana untuk memotong pajak yang dikenakan pada para eksportir lokal dalam rangka mendongkrak jumlah cadangan devisa, sambil mendukung rupiah, sebagai bagian dari paket kebijakan yang kedua. Rupiah Indonesia telah melemah 18,1% sejak awal 2015 karena ancaman kenaikan suku bunga AS, rendahnya harga-harga komoditi, dan devaluasi yuan Republik Rakyat Tiongkok (RRT). Pemerintah kini berencana untuk memotong pajak penghasilan atas bunga yang didapat para eksportir karena menabung pendapatan usaha ekspor mereka di bank-bank lokal. Saat ini, pajak penghasilan terhadap bunga bank (dari rekening-rekening tabungan) mencapai 20%.

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Setelah dibuka pada hari Senin (28/09), saham Indonesia jatuh dengan cepat di tengah pasar-pasar Asia yang performanya mixed. Faktor utama yang menyebabkan beberapa pasar Asia jatuh adalah menurunnya keuntungan industri di Cina (memicu kekuatiran mengenai semakin melambatnya negara dengan ekonomi terbesar kedua di dunia). Keuntungan industri Cina jatuh 8,8% di bulan Agustus, memburuk dari penurunan 2,9% di bulan Juli. Pada pukul 09:50 WIB, Indeks Harga Saham Gabungan (IHSG) turun 1,41% menjadi 4.150,27 poin.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) is set to announce the second installment of a policy package that aims at raising onshore US dollar supplies (and liquidity). As the rupiah has been the second worst-performing Asian emerging market currency (after Malaysia’s ringgit), having depreciated 18.1 percent against the US dollar so far in 2015, Indonesian policymakers are anxious to prop up the ailing currency in order to safeguard the country’s financial stability. Bank Indonesia's benchmark rupiah rate (Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate, abbreviated JISDOR) stood at IDR 14,690 per US dollar on Friday (25/09), a 17-year low.

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Stock markets in Asia were mixed on Friday (25/09) after Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen said in a speech at the University of Massachusetts that the US central bank is still on track to raise interest rates before the year-end (provided no economic shocks take place as the move is data-dependent). After this looming hike, Yellen suggests to gradually tighten US monetary policy thereafter.

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In line with other Asian emerging markets and currencies, Indonesian stocks and the rupiah are weakening on Friday (25/09) after Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen said during her speech at the University of Massachusetts that US interest rates are likely to be raised before the year-end, provided no economic shocks occur. Yellen stated that most FOMC participants agree on a Fed Fund Rate hike later this year, followed by gradual further monetary tightening thereafter.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) estimates that Indonesia's current account deficit will ease to 3.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2013. Indonesia's wide current account deficit has been one of the major financial troubles this year and managed to weaken investors' confidence in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Thus, Indonesia became one of the hardest hit emerging countries after the Federal Reserve started to speculate about an ending to its quantitative easing program.

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In Bank Indonesia's board of governors' meeting, which was held on Thursday (12/12), it was decided to maintain the country's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent. This decision was in line with market expectation but was unable to support the Jakarta Composite Index and rupiah exchange rate. The lending facility and deposit facility interest rates were also maintained at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. Bank Indonesia decided not to change the rate as Indonesia's inflation outlook for 2014 is still within target.

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Both the Jakarta Composite Index (Indonesia's benchmark stock index) and the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate are under pressure this morning as market participants are waiting for results of the central bank's Board of Governor's meeting that is held today (12/12) in Jakarta. Speculation has emerged that Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) will raise its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) one more time in 2013 in order to combat the country's current account deficit as well as mitigate the impact of a possible winding down of QE3.

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Although Indonesia's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) was kept at the level of 7.5 percent (in line with market expectation) today (12/12), it was not able to support the country's stock index. Indonesia's IHSG index fell 1.39 percent to 4,212.22 points. The index was negatively impacted by Asian stock indices that were down due to concerns about the looming end of the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program. This made investors' positive reaction to the BI rate of temporary nature. Weak openings in Europe increased downward pressure.

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One of the main problems of Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) is the profit taking that immediately happens after a day of strong growth. On Wednesday (11/12), the IHSG index was plagued by profit taking since the start of the first trading session. Moreover, the index was impacted by mostly falling Asian stock indices as well as the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate which went above the IDR 12,000 per US dollar level again. The only support the IHSG received was just before its closing when European indices opened up.

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Throughout the morning, the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate showed volatile movement on Tuesday (10/12). In the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the currency was up 0.45 percent to IDR 11,920 per US dollar at 16:20:51 local Jakarta time. The rupiah's performance is volatile because negative sentiments are brought on by improving economic data from the USA, causing a strengthening US dollar, while positive market sentiments are brought on by the new fiscal policies that were announced by the Indonesian government.

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Indonesia's benchmark stock index (the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) continued yesterday's rise on today's trading day (10/12), supported by indices on Wall Street that climbed due to the lower VIX index (Chicago Board Options Exchange Market Volatility Index) although Asia's stock indices were mixed, while the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate continued its decline. Indonesia's manufacturing stocks were up along with consumer, automotive and processed foods stocks.

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After appreciating on Monday morning (09/12), the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate started to weaken against the US dollar in the afternoon. At 15:10:29 local Jakarta time, the rupiah stood at IDR 11,970 per US dollar in the Bloomberg Dollar Index, a 0.05 percent depreciation from the start of the day. The rupiah exchange rate is fluctuating due to positive sentiments caused by Indonesia's October trade surplus as well as China's low inflation and negative sentiments brought on by the looming end of the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program.

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ICRA Indonesia, an independent credit rating agency and subsidiary of ICRA Ltd. (associate of Moody's Investors Service), publishes a monthly newsletter which provides an update on the financial and economic developments in Indonesia of the last month. In the November 2013 edition, a number of important issues that are monitored include Indonesia's inflation rate, the trade balance, the current account deficit, the IDR rupiah exchange rate, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Below is an excerpt of the newsletter:

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Indonesia's Finance Minister Chatib Basri stated that the government of Indonesia is busy preparing three new policies that aim to restore financial stability as well as attract foreign direct investments. These three new policies involve the higher sales tax on imported luxury cars, a revision of Indonesia's negative investment list, and the higher income tax on imported consumption goods. These three new policies are in addition to the policy package that was introduced by the Indonesian government in August 2013.

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