Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index finished at an all-time record level on Friday (17/03), supported by mostly rising Asian stocks as global investors are attracted again by higher-yielding assets in emerging markets after the US Federal Reserve turned out to be not as "hawkish" as market participants had assumed. Indeed the Fed raised its key Fed Funds Rate by 25 basis points at the March policy meeting but the US central bank emphasized that further interest rate hikes would be gradual.

Read more ›

In line with expectations, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis-points to the range of 0.75 - 1.00 percent on Wednesday (15/03). It was the Fed's third rate hike in the past 15 months. As this hike had already been expected by basically all market participants it was more important to learn the Fed's stance on the pace and number of further rate hikes in 2017. On this matter Fed Chief Janet Yellen remained rather dovish, saying any further hikes in 2017 would be gradual. Wall Street now expects to see two more hikes in 2017.

Read more ›

Ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting (14-15 March) investor sentiment remains subdued with thin trade in Asia's stock markets. Most, if not all, market participants expect the Fed to raise its benchmark Fed Funds Rate by 25 basis points supported by recently strong US jobs reports. The main questions now are whether the US rate hike is already priced in (in markets) or will we see big (yet temporary) capital outflows from emerging markets, including Indonesia? And secondly, will the Fed raise its interest rate environment faster than expected in the remainder of 2017?

Read more ›

The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) is also among the many institutions or market participants that expect the Federal Reserve to raise its Fed Funds Rate by 25 basis points at the coming Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting (14-15 March 2017). This move should put some temporary pressure on the Indonesian rupiah (as Indonesia will most likely see capital outflows) and therefore Bank Indonesia sees few to none room for additional monetary easing in Southeast Asia's largest economy in the remainder of this year.

Read more ›

Ahead of looming higher interest rates in the USA, Indonesia's financial authorities seem confident that the impact of tightening US monetary policy on Indonesia's capital markets will be controlled as Indonesia's economic fundamentals are solid, while the nation's central bank (Bank Indonesia) and government are ready to step in to stabilize the rupiah exchange rate or the pace of capital flows, if needed.

Read more ›

Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell 0.32 percent to 5,391.21 points on Friday (03/03), while the Indonesian rupiah depreciated 0.19 percent to IDR 13,383 against the US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index). The performance of Indonesian stocks and the currency was in line with the performance of its counterparts in Asia. Asian shares were tracking losses on Wall Street overnight where profit-taking kicked in as US indices have been in rally-mode since Donald Trump won the presidential election in November 2016.

Read more ›

Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG) surged 1.06 percent to 5,421.54 points shortly before closing on Thursday (02/03) as most Asian stock indices were in the green zone, lifted by the performance of Wall Street overnight. Indonesian stocks were actually the best performing stocks across Asia today. To explain why Indonesian stocks performed so well today, we need to look first at US stocks' performance overnight. It is all related to Trump's latest speech.

Read more ›

Despite US dollar strength amid promised tax cuts in the USA and looming higher US interest rates, the Indonesian rupiah is not expected to depreciate as much as its Asian counterparts according to the DBS Bank. On Wednesday (01/03) the rupiah weakened 0.19 percent to IDR 13,363 per US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index). So far this year, however, the rupiah has strengthened nearly one percent against the greenback.

Read more ›

Based on the minutes of the Federal Reserve's January policy meeting the US central bank will have a cautious approach when it comes to interest rate hikes. Fed officials agreed that a rate hike should occur fairly soon, perhaps as soon as March 2017, but only in case US jobs and inflation data are in line with expectation. This outlook led to a weakening US dollar as well as stocks as investors had been anticipating a more "hawkish" tone from Fed officials.

Read more ›

The Indonesian rupiah is appreciating against the US dollar on Monday (06/02). Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the rupiah had appreciated 0.13 percent to IDR 13,325 per US dollar by 12:15 pm local Jakarta time. It is assumed that optimism about Indonesia's improving economic fundamentals in combination with rebounding commodity prices and slower-than-expected US economic growth supports the currency of Indonesia. Meanwhile, other Asian emerging market currencies are also appreciating against the greenback.

Read more ›

After a promising start of the day, the rupiah exchange rate and Indonesian stocks lost all of their earlier gains ahead of closing on Monday day (19/05). Around 10:00 local Jakarta time, the rupiah rate appreciated more than 0.60 percent to IDR 11,346 per US dollar on speculation that Jusuf Kalla would be nominated as Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's running mate in the presidential election (9 July 2014), backed by a coalition consisting of the PDI-P, NasDem, PKB and Hanura. After the official declaration, however, the currency lost all of its earlier gains.

Read more ›

The week ended well for both the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate and the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG). Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the rupiah appreciated 0.30 percent to IDR 11,413 per US dollar at the end of Friday's trading day (16/05). Meanwhile, the IHSG surged 0.80 percent to finish just above the psychological level of 5,000 points. The good performance was supported by investors' positive response towards the latest political developments in Indonesia.

Read more ›

The government of Indonesia will submit a new draft proposal for the 2014 Revised State Budget (APBN-P 2014) on 20 May 2014. Of the seven basic macroeconomic assumptions in the 2014 State Budget (APBN 2014), three assumptions are proposed to be revised. These involve general economic growth, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate, and crude oil lifting. The government felt that the assumptions need a revision as results in the first quarter of 2014 have not been up to expectation.

Read more ›

The benchmark stock index of Indonesia - known as the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG - rose 0.17 percent to 4,921.39 points on Tuesday (13/05), impacted by investors' reaction to positive earnings reports of Indonesian coal miners in the first quarter of 2014. Today, foreign investors recorded net buying of IDR 64 billion (USD $5.6 million) and accounted for 31 percent of trading activity. However, investors remain cautious ahead of the presidential election that is scheduled for 9 July 2014 and wait for more clarity about the (vice) presidential candidates that will compete.

Read more ›

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 April 2014 edition, a number of important topics that are monitored include Indonesia's inflation rate, the trade balance, the BI rate, the IDR rupiah exchange rate, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Below is an excerpt of the newsletter:

Read more ›

While most emerging Asian currencies fell, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate appreciated 0.08 percent to IDR 11,523 per US dollar based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index on Monday (12/05). The depreciating Chinese yuan, after its central bank set the midrate at its lowest level in eight months, put pressure on other Asian currencies. Today, Indonesia's Finance Ministry sold IDR 10 trillion rupiah (USD $867 million) of bonds, higher than the indicative target of IDR 8 trillion rupiah. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s two-year bonds gained.

Read more ›

The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided at today’s Bank Indonesia Board of Governors’ Meeting, convened on 8 May 2014, to maintain the country's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, with the Lending Facility rate and Deposit Facility rate held at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. This policy is consistent with efforts to steer the rate of inflation towards its target corridor of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4.0±1 percent in 2015, as well as to reduce the current account deficit to a more sustainable level.

Read more ›

Completely opposite to our expectations, the benchmark stock index of Indonesia (known as the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) managed to climb 0.57 percent to 4,862.02 points on Wednesday (07/05). The gain was unexpected as there were no clear factors that could provide positive market sentiments. Moreover, today's Asian stock indices were mostly down. Coincidence or not, tomorrow Bank Indonesia will announce whether its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) - currently set at 7.50 percent - will be changed or maintained.

Read more ›

Indonesian Finance Minister Chatib Basri said that the country's economic growth in 2015 is targeted in the range of 5.5 to 6.3 percent. Amid further Federal Reserve tapering and possible interest rate hikes in the world's largest economy, chances of capital outflows from emerging markets (including Indonesia) are becoming larger. Basri said that these global conditions impact on GDP growth, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate and inflation. Therefore, 2015 is a transition year, reflected by tighter economic projections and state spending.

Read more ›

At the end of Friday’s trading day (02/05), the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate appreciated 0.32 percent to IDR 11,525 per US dollar based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index. The rupiah performed better than most of its regional emerging peers as inflation and trade data, which were released today by Statistics Indonesia, provided positive market sentiments. Indonesian inflation eased to 7.25 percent (year-on-year) in April 2014, from 7.32 percent a month earlier. Meanwhile, the country posted a trade surplus of USD $673 million in March 2014.

Read more ›