Indonesia Investments updated the company profile of ABM Investama in the Indonesian companies section. ABM Investama, listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, is an Indonesia-based holding company that is primarily focused on energy-related sectors, covering coal production, mining contractor services, and power solutions. After two years of net losses the company posted net profit of USD $12.89 million in 2016 supported by cost efficiency improvements in all business lines and the surging coal price in the second half of 2016.

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For the third consecutive month Indonesia's benchmark coal price declined. This price (in Indonesian: Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA), which is based on a selection of domestic and international coal indices, is set on a monthly basis by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. For March 2017, the HBA was set at USD $81.90 per metric ton, down 19.5 percent from its recent peak of USD $101.69 per ton in December 2016.

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Production of heavy equipment in Indonesia is targeted to grow 14 percent to 4,200 units in 2017, compared to 3,678 produced units in the preceding year. This growth should come on the back of rising activity in the nation's mining sector, particularly Indonesia's coal mining sector, in line with rising commodity prices.

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Astra International, among the biggest diversified conglomerates in Indonesia, plans to distribute a total of IDR 6.8 trillion (approx. USD $511 million) worth of dividend for financial year 2016 to its shareholders, about 45 percent of the company's total net profit (slightly below the 50 percent payout ratio in the preceding year). Astra's 2016 dividend involves final dividend of IDR 113 per share and interim dividend of IDR 55 per share (hence total dividend of IDR 168 per share).

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The benchmark thermal coal price of Indonesia (in Indonesian: Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA), the a monthly price that is set by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, and which is based on a selection of domestic and international coal indices - continued to slide in the new year. The HBA fell 3.4 percent to USD $83.32 per metric ton in February 2017. Since the recent peak of USD $101.67 per metric ton in December 2016, the HBA price has now plunged 18 percent over the past two months.

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The only body acting internationally on behalf of coal, the World Coal Association (WCA), announced on Thursday (12/01) that Indonesian coal mining company Berau Coal Energy has joined its membership. Berau Coal is Indonesia's fifth-largest coal producer with an estimated 509 million tons of coal reserves. Berau was established in 1983 and now operates three mines in Lati, Binungan and Sambarata, all located on the island of Kalimantan.

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) says worldwide demand for coal will not grow significantly over the next five years. It sees worldwide coal demand in 2021 roughly at the same level as in 2014. In a report published on Monday (12/12) the agency says it detects rising demand for renewable energy sources (at the expense of coal) in Europe and North America, while in China coal consumption is also expected to stagnate. However, the IEA believes that coal will remain the most important energy source as it is cheap and easy to produce.

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Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will prepare new regulations regarding coal production in the regions. Usually, local coal miners, together, produce much more coal than what is targeted by the central government. By implementing stricter regulations and better monitoring (by enhanced coordination between the central and regional governments) there should be less opportunities for Indonesian coal miners to produce excess supply in the future.

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Indonesia's benchmark thermal coal price (Harga Batubara Acuan, or HBA) - a monthly price that is set by Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, and which is based on domestic and international coal indices - continued its impressive rally. In December 2016 the HBA was set at USD $101.69 per metric ton, up nearly 20 percent from the HBA in the preceding month. It is now at its highest level since May 2012. Moreover, price growth between November and December was the steepest monthly rise ever in the history of the HBA.

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Global credit rating agency Moody's Investors Service believes Indonesia's non-financial companies, specifically those engaged in the commodities sector, will see improving corporate earnings in 2017 due to rising commodity prices and the economic recovery of the USA. In a report released on Monday (21/11), Moody's states that commodity prices are expected to continue their upward movement in 2017. This will trigger investment in the mining, oil & gas and crude palm oil (CPO) sectors.

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Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will soon issue a moratorium on new coal mining concessions. This moratorium will be implemented after the issuance of a planned presidential instruction regarding a five-year moratorium on new palm oil plantation concessions. Heriyanto, Head of the Legal Department Directorate General of Minerals and Coal at the Energy Ministry, emphasized that the moratorium in Indonesia's mining industry only involves coal, not the mining of minerals.

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Domestic coal consumption in Indonesia rose 34.5 percent (y/y) to 24.5 million tons in the January-April 2016 period, according to data from Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry. This growth is caused by higher domestic coal demand due to Indonesia's ambitious 35,000 MW program (many of the power plants constructed in this program are coal-fired). Meanwhile, Indonesia's coal exports were down 14 percent (y/y) to 68 million metric tons over the same period amid sluggish global demand.

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Last week it was announced that the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) agreed to a USD $3.4 billion loan for the construction of the controversial Batang power plant in Central Java. This power plant project is controversial as it met fierce resistance from the local community (triggering concerns about human rights violations related to the land acquisition process) as well as criticism from environmental groups, saying this power plant - set to become Indonesia's largest coal-fired power plant - runs counter to Indonesia's earlier commitment to reduce carbon emissions.

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Adaro Energy, one of Indonesia's leading coal mining companies, is still plagued by the globe's weak coal prices. However, the company's estimated lower cash and operational costs give a positive boost to the miner's corporate earnings this year. According to Danareksa Sekuritas' estimates the cost of mining for Adaro Energy (outside royalty payments) will range between USD $26 - $28 per ton in 2016, slightly down from USD $28 per ton last year. Meanwhile, the miner's stripping ratio is expected to decline to 4.7x in 2016 (from 5.2x last year).

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One of the leading diversified conglomerates in Indonesia, Astra International, is facing challenges. Demand for cars has been on the decline in Indonesia over the past two years. This is a big challenge for the company because the automotive sector accounts for about half of Astra's total earnings. Meanwhile, its heavy equipment & mining segment and the financial services segment have been under severe pressure. Net income in the heavy equipment & mining segment plunged 55 percent (y/y) in Q1-2016, while net income in the financial services segment tumbled 46 percent (y/y) over the same period.

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State-controlled coal mining company Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam may be the only Indonesian coal producer that will post higher sales in 2016, both in terms of volume and revenue. The nation's other coal miners are expected to see further dropping coal sales due to sluggish global demand although coal prices may stabilize this year. According to Trimegah Securities Bukit Asam's coal sales volume will rise 25 percent (y/y) to 23.9 million tons in 2016, while revenue is estimated to rise 9 percent (y/y) to IDR 15 trillion (approx. USD $1.1 billion), and coal mining operational costs to fall by 3 percent (y/y) to USD $39.8 per ton.

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United Tractors, the largest distributor of heavy equipment in Indonesia, is still facing challenges due to persistently weak demand for heavy equipment amid low commodity prices. Business activity in the agribusiness, mining and infrastructure sectors have slowed This context is expected to lead to slowing net profit for the company in both 2015 and 2016. The company, a subsidiary of Astra International (Indonesia's largest diversified conglomerate), controls a market share of around 40 percent in Indonesia's heavy equipment market.

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Coal production in Indonesia fell 15.4 percent to 263 million tons in the first eight months of 2015 (from 311 million tons in the same period last year) as Indonesian coal miners cut production due to low global coal demand. Last week it was reported that Indonesia’s reference thermal coal price hit another all-time low at USD $58.21 per metric ton (FOB), down 1.6 percent from the August reference rate, and the fifth consecutive month of decline. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s coal exports fell 18 percent to 211 million tons (y/y) in the January-August period.

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In the 2000s many Indonesian companies diversified their business to include coal mining (or shifting their core business to coal mining altogether) due to lucrative opportunities amid the 2000s commodities boom. However, since 2009 mining companies have had to face tough times. Especially since 2011 commodity prices have shown a declining trend and there remains little hope of a rebound on the short term as the sluggish global economic growth trend persists, particularly led by the economic slowdown in China.

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The government of Indonesia is eager to use current low coal prices as the context to push for consolidation in the country’s coal mining sector. Sudirman Said, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, announced that the government may revoke over 4,000 troubled mining licenses this month and install a better licensing system. Licenses that may be revoked are Mining Business Permits (IUPs), not the long-standing Coal Contracts of Work (PKP2B) that are held by companies such as Bumi Resources and Berau Coal Energy.

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