Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) mengumumkan pada hari Senin (16/03) bahwa Indonesia membukukan surplus perdagangan sebesar 738,3 juta dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) pada Februari 2015. Surplus perdagangan telah terjadi selama tiga bulan berturut-turut dan lebih besar dari prediksi bank sentral Indonesia (bank Indonesia) dan hasil polling Reuters yang memperkirakan bahwa suplus akan berada di kisaran 500-520 juta dollar AS. Surplus ini juga lebih besar dari surplus perdagangan di bulan pertama 2015 yang mencapai 709,4 juta dollar AS. Surplus di Februari terjadi terutama karena penurunan impor.

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Setelah serangkaian data ekonomi yang baik (terutama data tenaga kerja di Amerika Serikat) pasar menduga Federal Reserve akan menaikkan tingkat suku bunganya pada kuartal kedua atau ketiga tahun ini dan karenanya dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) dapat bullish momentum (hampir menjadi posisi tertinggi selama 11 tahun terakhir). Karena prediksi yield yang lebih tinggi di AS, modal kembali masuk ke negara dengan ekonomi terbesar di dunia ini. Pada saat yang sama, hal ini menimbulkan kerugian besar pada mata uang di negara-negara berkembang, termasuk nilai tukar rupiah yang turun 6% terhadap dollar AS pada tahun ini.

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Pada 15 Maret 2015, Indonesia Investments menerbitkan edisi terbaru dari newsletternya. Newsletter gratis ini, yang dikirim kepada para pelanggan sekali setiap minggunya, memuat berita-berita paling penting dari Indonesia yang telah dilaporkan di website kami di tujuh hari terakhir. Kebanyakan topik membahas isu-isu ekonomi seperti analisis performa rupiah, prediksi neraca perdagangan Februari 2015, pemasukan dari industri batubara Indonesia, industri makanan dan minuman olahan, jalan tol Trans-Sumatra, dan banyak lagi.

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Omset di industri makanan dan minuman olahan diprediksi akan bertumbuh 4-5% pada basis year-on-year (y/y) pada kuartal pertama di 2015 dari periode yang sama di tahun lalu. Adhi Lukman, Ketua Umum dari Gabungan Pengusaha Makanan dan Minuman Indonesia (GAPMMI), mengatakan bahwa faktor-faktor yang telah menghambat industri ini adalah penurunan subsidi bahan bakar, ekspor yang lambat, ketergantungan industri ini pada impor bahan mentah, melemahnya daya beli masyarakat karena rendahnya harga-harga komoditi, dan nilai tukar rupiah yang lemah.

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Di Indonesia, lampu sorot tetap tajam terfokus pada pelemahan drastis rupiah. Karena semakin berkembangnya spekulasi bahwa US Federal Reserve akan segera menaikkan tingkat suku bunga pinjamannya, aset-aset pasar berkembang (baik mata uang maupun saham) cenderung melemah. Walau sebagian besar mata uang Asia melemah terhadap dolar Amerika Serikat (AS), rupiah lebih rentan karena Indonesia sedang mengalami defisit transaksi berjalan yang besar. Hal ini menginformasikan kepada para investor bahwa negara ini bergantung pada capital inflows dari negara-negara asing.

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Saham-saham Indonesia dan nilai tukar rupiah kena dampak negatif dari penguatan nilai tukar dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) pada hari Senin (09/03) setelah rilisnya US payrolls yang lebih kuat dari prediksi sebelumnya dan karenanya memperkuat dugaan bahwa US Federal Reserve akan menaikkan suku bunga pinjaman acuannya pada bulan Juni. Terlebih lagi, pada minggu lalu, Gubernur bank sentral AS Janet Yellen telah memberikan sinyal kepada Konggres AS bahwa bank sentral AS mungkin akan mengurangi 'patient stance'. IHSG jatuh 1,25% ke 5.445,84 poin pada sesi perdagangan pertama di hari Senin (09/03).

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Pada 8 Maret 2015, Indonesia Investments menerbitkan edisi terbaru dari newsletter-nya. Newsletter gratis ini, dikirimkan kepada para pelanggan kami satu kali setiap minggunya, berisi berita-berita paling penting dari Indonesia yang telah dilaporkan di website kami selama tujuh hari terakhir. Kebanyakan topik bekaitan dengan isu-isu ekonomi seperti analisis performa rupiah, update inflasi terakhir, kesederajatan gender di Indonesia, dampak pertumbuhan kredit yang melambat pada prospek resiko di sektor perbankan Indonesia, dan banyak lagi.

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Pemerintah Indonesia meneruskan perjuangan mereka untuk meringankan kekuatiran masyarakat tentang dampak dari rupiah yang lemah pada perekonomian Indonesia. Bahkan, Pemerintah menekankan bahwa rupiah yang lemah akan berdampak positif pada neraca perdagangan dan neraca transaksi berjalan karena produk-produk ekspor Indonesia menjadi lebih kompetitif. Selama satu minggu ini, rupiah melemah 1% terhadap dollar Amerika Serikat (AS). Sejak awal 2015, rupiah telah jatuh 4,4% terhadap dollar AS, karenanya menjadi salah satu mata uang di negara-negara berkembang Asia dengan performa terburuk di tahun ini.

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Ketika nilai tukar rupiah jatuh di bawah batasan yang menguatirkan yaitu Rp 13,000 per dollar Amerika Serikat (AS) pada hari Rabu (05/03), baik Menteri Keuangan Indonesia Bambang Brodjonegoro dan Gubernur Bank Indonesia (BI) mengatakan bahwa tidak perlu panik karena performa rupiah terhadap dollar AS masih sejalan dengan performa mata uang-mata uang lain terhadap dollar AS. Berdasarkan pada Bloomberg Dollar Index, nilai rupiah telah melemah 0,28% menjadi Rp 13,028 pada pukul 13:35 Waktu Indonesia Barat (WIB).

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While most Southeast Asian stock markets and emerging Asian currencies strengthened on Tuesday (03/03) on the back of a rebounding yen and - contrary to expectation - the decision of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to leave its cash rate a record low of 2.25 percent, Indonesian stocks and the rupiah performed rather flat. The benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell 0.06 percent to 5,474.62 points, while the Indonesian rupiah rate appreciated 0.01 percent to IDR 12,969 according to the Bloomberg Dollar Index.

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Indonesian retail businesses are optimistic that their performance will improve in 2016 on the back of rising purchasing power amid the government's decision to cut energy tariffs (fuel and electricity) and its plan to raise non-taxable income by 50 percent. These moves mean that Indonesian consumers (particularly in the lower middle class segment) should have more money to spend. Tutum Rahanta, Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Retailers Association (Aprindo), says retail business can grow by 12 - 15 percent (y/y) in 2016, considerably higher than the 7 - 8 percent (y/y) growth pace realized last year.

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In 2015 Unilever Indonesia's net profit declined 1.2 percent (y/y) to IDR 5.85 trillion (approx. USD $443 million) due to weakened purchasing power of Indonesian consumers amid the economic slowdown. Last year Indonesia's GDP growth touched the six-year low of 4.79 percent (y/y). This year, however, economic growth is estimated to accelerate beyond the 5.0 percent (y/y) mark. Unilever Indonesia is a leading consumer goods producer in Indonesia that is mainly focused on home & personal care products as well as foods & refreshment products. How about its performance in 2016?

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To assess Indonesia's purchasing power and consumer confidence it is always useful to take a look at car and motorcycle sales because when people are confident about their financial situation and have enough money to spend then they tend to buy cars and motorcycles (motorcycles are particularly popular among Indonesia's huge middle to lower-middle class segment). Meanwhile, cement sales inform about property and infrastructure development. Property development is also closely related to purchasing power and consumer confidence because property development grows when people's demand for property rises.

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Some concern has been raised about the inflow of foreign 'hot money' into Indonesia amid accomodative monetary policies conducted by central banks of the Eurozone and Japan (the latter implemented negative interest rates in late-January). The world's carry traders are now seeking cheap funds in advanced economies and invest these funds in assets that have attractive returns such as Indonesian bonds and stocks. Indonesia's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) is still relatively high at 7.0 percent after a 25 basis points cut at Bank Indonesia's February 2016 policy meeting.

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Tomorrow (05/02), Statistics Indonesia is scheduled to release Indonesia's official full-year 2015 economic growth figure. Nearly all analysts expect to see a figure that reflects the continuation of slowing economic growth. Southeast Asia's largest economy expanded 5.0 percent in 2014 and this is expected to have eased further to 4.7 percent or 4.8 percent in 2015 on the back of (interrelated) sluggish global growth, low commodity prices, and weak export performance. Domestically, Indonesia has or had to cope with high interest rates and inflation (hence curtailing people's purchasing power and consumption as well as business expansion).

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Whereas the Indonesian Automotive Industry Association (Gaikindo), expects Indonesia's car sales to rise five percent (y/y) in 2016 on the back of improving economic conditions, US-based consulting firm Frost & Sullivan expects to see a 4.3 percent decline in the country's car sales this year as continued rupiah depreciation and persistently low commodity prices undermine Indonesians' purchasing power.

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Broad market trends in the Indonesian rupiah have held relatively consistent over the last year, with a modest devaluation seen against the US dollar. We did see fluctuations in these trends during the summer months but many of these moves came as a result of external influences. One of the best examples here is the media turmoil that posted during this period with respect to a slowdown in the Chinese economy, and this has left many investors wondering whether the rupiah will be able to stand on its own merits and reverse some of its earlier weakness.

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New York-based financial services firm Standard & Poor's stated that Indonesia's banking industry will feel the negative impact of Indonesia's sluggish economic growth in combination with persistently low commodity prices next year. This combination may weaken profitability of the nation's banking industry. S&P puts Indonesia's economic growth in 2016 at 5 percent (y/y), below the International Monetary Fund's and World Bank's forecast as well as the central government's target, all at 5.3 percent (y/y).

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The financial markets have had an interesting year in 2015, with several significant surprises seen in the major asset classes. On the whole, 2015 could probably be best described as a year of stabilizing with stocks and commodities holding mostly steady throughout the period. This has been largely true in the currency markets, as well. But there are some factors that are likely to influence trends for world currencies in new ways in 2016. Central banks in some regions will likely have significant influence in others, and investors will need to remain aware of the possibilities early in order to position for potential trend chances in critical areas.

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Ace Hardware Indonesia, one of Indonesia's leading retail companies that is engaged in the markets of home improvement and lifestyle products, is expected to show modest (single-digit) growth in 2016. Same store sales growth is estimated to grow in the range of 8-10 percent year-on-year (y/y). This modest performance is caused by weak purchasing power in Indonesia amid sluggish economic growth and due to the fragile rupiah (against the US dollar).

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