Emerging market assets, including Indonesian stocks and the rupiah, are being supported today by the release of China's official third quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth figure. The economy of China expanded 6.9 percent (y/y) in Q3-2015, slightly beating expectations (at 6.8 percent y/y) on relatively robust spending by Chinese consumers. Most emerging market assets strengthened after the news as a slightly better Chinese economy (implying higher Chinese demand) impacts positively on other countries in the Asian region on expectation of improving export performance.

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Agus Martowardojo, Governor of the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia), said there are still 320 local companies that have not complied with the central banks' hedging requirements regarding foreign loans. A Bank Indonesia study conducted in late-2014 showed that the country’s private sector foreign debt is vulnerable to several risks i.e. currency risks, liquidity risks and overleverage risks due to unhedged loans.

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As expected, the central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) left its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) unchanged at 7.50 percent at the October Board of Governor's meeting on Thursday (15/10). Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia maintained the deposit facility rate and the lending facility rate at 5.50 percent and 8.00 percent, respectively. Rates were left unchanged as the global economic outlook remains highly uncertain. This jeopardizes the stability of the Indonesian rupiah.

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After Islamic New Year celebrations, Indonesia’s financial markets reopened on Thursday (15/10). The sharp appreciation of the Indonesian rupiah on Thursday morning is remarkable. By 10:10 am local Jakarta time, the rupiah had appreciated 2.36 percent to IDR 13,295 per US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index) hence extending last week’s gains when Indonesia’s currency strengthened around 9 percent against the greenback. Emerging markets assets are still gaining on signs that the Federal Reserve will not raise US interest rates in the short-term.

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In a draft regulation, Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the government agency that regulates and supervises the financial services sector, proposes that the country's leading banks have set aside more capital - between 1 and 3.5 percent of their risk-weighted assets (a "capital surcharge") by December 2015 - as a buffer against financial market volatility risks. The new policy aims to strengthen Indonesia's financial system amid the country's economic slowdown and severe external pressures (looming higher US interest rates and China's slowdown).

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On Tuesday (13/10), Chinese authorities announced that the country's trade balance widened to 376.2 billion yuan in September 2015, beating forecasts. China's exports contracted less than expected at -1.1 percent. However, China's imports (-17.7 percent) plunged more than expected and now recorded the eleventh month of straight declines. Although the balance is better than had been forecast, China's latest import and export data show again that the world's second-largest economy is plagued by a persistent slowdown.

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The Indonesian rupiah is slightly weakening on Monday (12/10) as market participants are responding to Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer's remarks in Lima (Peru) where he attended the latest IMF meeting as well as a banking seminar. Fischer said that there could still be a Fed Fund Rate hike before the end of the year, provided that US economic data (and global circumstances) allow such a move. Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the rupiah had depreciated 0.02 percent to IDR 13,414 per US dollar by 12:15 pm local Jakarta time.

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On 11 October 2015, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic subjects such as the government's third stimulus package, the remarkable performance of Indonesian stocks and the rupiah, growth forecasts from the World Bank and the IMF, Indonesian car sales, a palm oil industry update, and more.

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The Indonesian rupiah is having one of its strongest days in recent history. By 13:00 pm local Jakarta time, the rupiah had appreciated 3.90 percent to IDR 13,346 per US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index). After the release of the Federal Reserve's FOMC minutes on Thursday (08/10), emerging markets assets have strengthened robustly on speculation that the Fed will not raise US interest rates anytime soon. Rebounding commodity prices also support the performance of the rupiah. Indonesia's currency is set to post its best weekly gain in more than a decade.

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After the release of the minutes of the Federal Reserve's 16-17 September policy meeting (FOMC), Indonesian assets (rupiah and stocks) strengthened significantly on Friday (09/10). The minutes, released on Thursday (08/10), show that the US central bank prefers to postpone a US interest rate hike for now in order to wait for additional information that informs whether the US economic growth outlook will not deteriorate due to global conditions. Moreover, US inflation remains stuck at low levels (far below the Fed's 2 percent target) due to lower oil prices and the strong US dollar.

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The announcement that the Federal Reserve (FED) will start its quantitative easing tapering in January 2014, while keeping interest rates low, made stock indices in Asia rise, including Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG), although mining and property stocks were able to limit today's gain. The IHSG rose 0.85 percent to 4,231.98 points on Thursday (19/12). The Indonesia rupiah exchange rate (IDR), however, was down as future tighter US dollar supplies causes market participants to buy US dollar now.

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The Indonesia rupiah exchange rate continued its downward trend on Wednesday (18/12). Both Bank Indonesia's Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate (JISDOR) and Bloomberg Dollar Index indicated a depreciating rupiah against the US dollar. Bank Indonesia's JISDOR was set at IDR 12,151 per US dollar, a 0.39 percent fall from yesterday (17/12), while in the Bloomberg Dollar Index the currency depreciated 0.35 percent to IDR 12,168 per US dollar at 16:55 in the afternoon, local Jakarta time.

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Wall Street, which was up on Monday (16/12) supported by various economic data, managed to support Asian stock indices on Tuesday (17/12), including Indonesia’s benchmark stock index (IHSG). Investors were back and ready to trade on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. As usual, the big cap stocks were highly popular. The rupiah’s Bank Indonesia mid-rate, which improved slightly, also contributed to the good performance of the IHSG today. The index rose 1.37 percent to 4,182.35 points.

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Ahead of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on 17-18 December 2013, the Indonesia rupiah exchange rate is continuing its depreciating trend as the economies of the USA and Japan, particularly the capital markets, are improving and causes the US dollar and Yen to appreciate against other currencies. Both currencies are considered safe havens amid the current volatile world economy. One of the victims is the rupiah, which fell to IDR 12,126 per US dollar at 12.30 local Jakarta time (Bloomberg Dollar Index).

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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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