Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell 0.56 percent to 5,615.49 points on Wednesday (17/05), in line with the performance of stocks across the Asia-Pacific region. The weak performance is caused by increasing concern about the controversial actions and policies of US President Donald Trump. After the emergence of several new scandals over the past couple of days more and more people assume Trump will not be able to finish his presidential term as calls for impeachment are heard.

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Asian stocks are mixed on Tuesday morning (16/05). Positive sentiments are brought about by the rising crude oil price and the positive performance of US stocks overnight. However, there is also some concern about the global WannaCry "ransomware" cyber attack that may be linked to North Korea, while the latest data from China confirm that China's growth momentum continues to moderate.

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Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index was slightly in green territory shortly after opening on Wednesday (10/05), seemingly recovering from yesterday's losses when market participants were alarmed by the controversial two-year prison sentence for former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama ("Ahok") that was handed by the North Jakarta District Court as the defendant was found guilty of blasphemy. Another matter that impacted negatively on Indonesian stocks was the big drop in global coal prices.

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It should be a great day for Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index on Monday (08/05). Several factors are pushing Indonesian (as well as Asian and global) stocks further into green territory. Firstly, Emmanuel Macron's victory in the French presidential election removes concern about stability of the European Union (EU). Secondly, strong US jobs data indicate further US economic growth ahead. Thirdly, the crude oil price is showing a steep recovery so far today. Lastly, Japanese stocks - after ending last week's holiday - are surging, hence being a good reference point for other Asian markets.

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Stocks are under pressure in Asia on Friday morning (05/05) as metal prices continue to slide, while crude oil prices suffered their lowest close since November 2016 after a near five percent plunge yesterday on concerns of a US oil supply glut with analysts forecasting further losses, hence undermining the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)'s earlier efforts to boost the oil price through production cut agreements (chances of seeing deeper cuts in OPEC nations are slim).

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As widely expected, the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged after May's two-day policy meeting that was concluded on Wednesday (03/05). The US central bank also delivered a rather hawkish policy statement, downplaying weak Q1-2017 economic growth and emphasizing the strength of the US labor market. This implies the Fed is still on track for two more rate hikes in the remainder of 2017.

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Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index slipped for the third consecutive day on Tuesday (02/05), unable to follow the general trend in Asian markets. While the overnight rally on Wall Street (the Nasdaq hitting a new all-time high) and easing geopolitical concerns on Korea provided the right context for most Asian stocks to rise, Indonesia failed to follow suit. This was attributed to higher-than-expected inflation. However, we also want to add that valuations of Indonesian stocks are still high, making these stocks "a bit unattractive".

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Asian shares rose on Tuesday morning (25/04), following the strong performance of Wall Street overnight, supported by easing concerns about the stability of the European Union (EU) after French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron is seen as the clear favorite in the presidential runoff. Macron, a pro-EU centrist, will face Marine Le Pen, an anti-EU nationalist, in the runoff. Due to easing concerns safe haven assets came under pressure, while the euro retained gains. Australia and New Zealand are closed for a public holiday.

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Indonesian stocks made a remarkable rebound on Friday (21/04). The benchmark Jakarta Composite Index gained 1.24 percent to 5,664.48 points on the last trading day of the week (coming Monday Indonesian markets are closed for the remembrance of the ascension of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad). Meanwhile, the Indonesian rupiah appreciated 0.01 percent to IDR 13,322 per US dollar on Friday (Bloomberg Dollar Index).

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The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) decided to keep its doors closed on Wednesday (19/04) as the people of Jakarta will vote in the second (and final) round of the Jakarta gubernatorial election. Earlier, Indonesian President Joko Widodo had already declared Wednesday 19 April 2017 a public holiday for the citizens in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia stated that it will keep operations at a minimum on voting day.

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When we look at all of the activity in financial markets this year, some interesting trends have started to emerge for those looking to invest in Asia. Stock markets in Indonesia have shown strong rallies, and have started to reverse many of the multi-year declines that have been characterizing the region. This inspired a great deal of attention for Indonesia’s stock benchmarks, as it is looking increasingly likely that improvements in the underlying economic data will continue bringing in buyers for these markets.

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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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Indonesian stock markets have garnered a good deal of attention to start the year, with the Jakarta Composite Index (JKSE) showing gains of more than 3.2 percent for the period. This is something of an anomaly when we look at the global stock market as a whole, given the fact that most investors have already started to brace for a generalized tightening cycle in interest rates in several key economies.

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Although the Jakarta Composite Index, Indonesia's benchmark stock index, fell 12.13 percent during the year 2015, not all shares of listed companies were in red territory last year. It is interesting to take a look at those shares, particularly the blue-chip stocks, that still managed to rise amid unconducive domestic and global economic conditions. Therefore, we present the top gainers of the LQ45 index. This LQ45 index, created by the research and development division of the Indonesia Stock Exchange, consists of 45 stocks that meet specific criteria.

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Indonesian assets weakened on Friday (06/11) on expectation that US non-farm payrolls and US employment data would improve, suggesting that a Fed Fund Rate hike may occur in December 2015. Such expectations were correct. After Indonesian and other Asian markets had closed on Friday, the US Labor Department announced that October payrolls rose 271,000 (the largest increase this year), while the US unemployment rate touched a seven-year low at 5 percent. Furthermore, the average hourly earnings over the past 12 months climbed by the most since 2009.

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For those who follow Indonesian stock markets, it is no mystery that the trend have not been encouraging or supportive in the year 2015. Several important stock benchmarks that track equity performance for the region show year-to-date losses of 30% or more, and this has led many investors to steer clear of the emerging markets space until things start to stabilize.

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After a real roller coaster ride, Indonesia’s benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index) climbed 0.35 percent to 4,446.20 points at the end of the trading week. The majority of key stock indices across the globe tended to strengthen on Friday after a week characterized by severe volatility amid concern about the economic situation in China.

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Although Indonesian stocks managed to rebound, the rupiah continued to depreciate against the US dollar today (25/08). However, rupiah weakening was limited as Bank Indonesia was closely monitoring and intervening in markets to support the rupiah. Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the Indonesian rupiah depreciated 0.03 percent to IDR 14,054 per US dollar. As significant further rupiah weakening is assumed to seriously undermine confidence in the rupiah, the central bank’s intervention efforts are well received by investors.

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The Indonesian rupiah touched a 17-year low as the currency continued to depreciate amid persistent bullish US dollar momentum. The rupiah weakened to IDR 13,539 per US dollar according to the Bloomberg Dollar Index on Friday (31/07). The US Commerce Department announced on Thursday (30/07) that US gross domestic product (GDP) expanded at 2.3 percent (year-on-year) in the second quarter of 2015, giving rise to heightened expectation that the US Federal Reserve will raise its key interest rate soon.

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Both Indonesian stocks and the rupiah continued to slide on Thursday (04/06) and seem to be caught in a vicious downward spiral brought about by both domestic and international factors. Indonesia’s benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index) fell 0.68 percent to close at a five-week low of 5,095.82 points, while the rupiah depreciated 0.39 percent to IDR 13,281 per US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index), a level last seen in the late 1990s when the country was plagued by the Asian Financial Crisis.

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