Indonesia Stock Market Update: Wall Street Sets Good Example
Indonesian stocks should manage to climb today. In early morning trade on Thursday (08/12) MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 0.4 percent touching a one-month high supported by US stocks setting another fresh high overnight, while bonds rallied on expectation that the European Central Bank (ECB) is to announce that it will extend its asset buying program later today in its policy meeting. Meanwhile, Nikkei futures point at an opening gain of around 1 percent.
Overnight, Wall Street set a great example. On Wednesday (07/12) the Dow Jones added 1.55 percent to 19,549.6 points, the S&P 500 rose 1.32 percent to 2,241.3 points, while the Nasdaq gained 1.1 percent to 5,393.7 points. It was the 12th record high position after the 2016 US presidential election. Strong performance in the US was attributed to rising expectation that president-elect Donald Trump will cut taxes and boost the US economy once in office.
While US telecommunications, property and transportation shares surged on Wednesday, healthcare shares were the biggest loser as Trump announced to bring down prescription prices.
Despite Italy's "no" in the referendum last week, markets have become optimistic that this result will trigger more stimulus from the ECB. The euro did not even seem troubled after Moody's Investors Service changed its outlook on Italy to negative. The credit rating agency warned it may downgrade Italy's credit rating if its deteriorating economic and debt outlook was not reversed.
On Wednesday (07/12) Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell slightly. Investors engaged in profit-taking after the six-day rally of the index and the significantly strengthening Indonesian rupiah. The rupiah has been appreciating since the start of December
Stock trading in Indonesia starts at 09:00 am local Jakarta time.