Most stock indices in Asia fell on Tuesday's trading day (10/11) on concern that China's stalling economy negatively impacts on the pace of global economic growth, while markets are also bracing for a looming US interest rate hike before the year-end. Moreover, sentiments in Southeast Asia are not positive as the majority of Q3-2015 earnings reports have been unfavorable. Combined, it triggers a flight to safer haven assets. Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell 1.08 percent to 4,451.05 points.

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Shares in the Asia-Pacific were mixed after opening on Monday (09/11). While, Japanese shares touched a fresh 2.5 month high on a weaker yen and Chinese shares went up (despite disappointing trade data), shares in Indonesia, South Korea and Australia were down. Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index fell approximately 0.50 percent after opening on Monday, while the Indonesian rupiah had depreciated 0.83 percent to IDR 13,676 per US dollar by 09:16 am local Jakarta time.

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On 8 November 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 an analysis of Indonesia's Q3-2015 GDP growth, an inflation update, overviews of Islamic banking and the taxi services industry, a rupiah & stock market update, and more.

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A Finance Ministry official said Indonesia's state budget deficit is likely to exceed the projected IDR 300 trillion (approx. USD $22 billion) in 2015, pushing the deficit to 2.7 percent of Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP), dangerously close to the maximum 3 percent of GDP cap that is set by a 2003 law. In the original 2015 State Budget the government targeted a budget deficit of 1.9 percent of GDP. This target was then revised to 2.2 percent in September. However, another revision is needed due to poor tax revenue collection.

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Indonesian stocks and the rupiah are feeling the negative impact of news from the USA. Both Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen and New York Federal Reserve President William Dudley said a Fed Fund Rate hike in December is a "live possibility" amid low US employment, continued GDP growth and confidence that inflation will rise to the US central bank's target range. As a result of these remarks gold dropped to a one-month low, stocks declined, while bond yields and the US dollar were pushed higher.

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Asian stocks continue to rise on positive market sentiments on Wednesday (04/11). Supported by gains on Wall Street overnight and higher crude oil prices (pushing energy stocks higher), most Asian indices surged. Investors seem to have more confidence in the world economy. Earlier this week data signal that manufacturing activity continues to expand in the US and Europe, while in China it is stabilizing. Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index was up 1.43 percent to 4,597.69 points by 10:50 am local Jakarta time.

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Indonesian stocks and the rupiah outperformed their regional peers on Tuesday (03/11) after US stocks posted strong gains overnight on the back of a spate of acquisition deals and positive US manufacturing activity and construction spending data. Most Asian stock indices rose on these improved global market sentiments. Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index climbed 1.53 percent to 4,533.09 points.

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Indonesia's benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index) was one of the few Asian indices that bucked the trend on today's trading day (02/11). Whereas most Asian indices, led by Japanese shares, fell on concern about persistent manufacturing contraction in China, the Jakarta Composite Index managed to rise 0.22 percent to 4,464.96 points. Meanwhile, oil prices dropped and the US dollar extended losses against most emerging market currencies.

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On 1 November 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 approval of the 2016 State Budget, an update on stocks & the rupiah, the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal, Trikomsel Oke's default, the World Bank's doing business index, and more.

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Indonesian assets are leading declines in Asia's equity and currency markets on today's trading day after a 'hawkish' statement released by the Federal Reserve indicated that the US will not raise its Fed Fund Rate yet, but does seem to open a door to a December interest rate hike. Despite the good performance of US stocks on Wednesday (28/10), most Asian markets were down today. Moreover, solid factory output in Japan reduced chances of further stimulus measures in Japan (Japan's central bank is to meet this Friday).

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Stock markets in Asia are mixed, yet tepid on Friday (16/12) after the US Federal Reserve raised its interest rate regime for the second time in a decade on Wednesday (14/12). Although the Fed's move was widely anticipated (and therefore already "priced in" to a high degree) it still resulted in some capital outflows from Asia's stock markets on Thursday (13/12). Japan, as usual, is the notable exception as US dollar strength (or yen weakness) makes Japan's export-oriented stocks more attractive.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo said market participants should reduce their focus on the US dollar as benchmark for Indonesia's rupiah currency. Instead of the US dollar, it is better to use China's renminbi, the European Union's euro, or Japan's yen as a benchmark for the rupiah as these rates better reflect the fundamentals of Southeast Asia's largest economy. The rupiah has come under pressure against the US dollar after Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 US presidential election.

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The Bank of Indonesia recently resorted to a sudden cut in interest rate (by 25 bps to 4.75 percent) at its 20th October 2016 meeting. This followed a 25 bps reduction in September and thus this is the sixth time this year that the Indonesian central bank has elected to loosen monetary policy.

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Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index experienced another tough day on Monday (14/11). After Indonesian stocks plunged 4.01 percent on Friday, stocks fell another 2.2 percent today. Not only Indonesia, but most Asian markets are hit by the selloff, particularly the emerging markets of Southeast Asia. Investors are re-evaluating their emerging market assets now Donald Trump has been elected the next US president (and who can rely on a Republican-controlled US Congress). To make matters worse, current uncertainty is expected to persist in the next couple of months.

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Bank Indonesia (BI) is the central bank of the Republic of Indonesia, and was known as "De Javasche bank" or "The Java Bank" in the colonial period.  Bank Indonesia was founded on 1 July 1953 from the nationalization of De Javasche Bank. As an independent state institution, Bank Indonesia is fully autonomous in formulating and implementing each of its assumed tasks and most policy goals tend to center around the ability to stabilize prices in the economy.

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Asian stocks, including Indonesia's benchmark Jakarta Composite Index, continue their persistent slide on Friday (04/11) ahead of the US presidential election on Tuesday 8 November 2016. By 10:45 am local Jakarta time, Indonesian stocks were down 0.29 percent to 5,314.00 points, while the rupiah had depreciated 0.14 percent to IDR 13,093 per US dollar (Bloomberg Dollar Index). Besides the too-close-to-call US election, investors are also keeping an eye on the mass demonstration in Jakarta today.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) has become slightly less optimistic about Indonesia's economic growth in the third quarter of 2016. Bank Indonesia revised down its growth projection to below the 5 percent (y/y) mark for Q3-2016 (from an earlier forecast of 5.2 percent). However, the lender of last resort still expects to see a better performance compared to the 4.73 percent (y/y) pace posted in Q3-2015. Meanwhile, low inflation and a strong rupiah could result in another interest rate cut in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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Packaged food producer Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur, subsidiary of Indofood Sukses Makmur, is expected to see rising profit in the second half of 2016 on the back of lower prices of raw materials (particularly wheat flour, the key ingredient for instant noodles), the stronger rupiah and improved purchasing power of Indonesia's consumer force. Meanwhile, the company may manage to curb losses that originate from the beverage segment. Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur has 6 business segments: noodles, dairy, snack foods, food seasoning, nutrition and special food products, and beverages.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) has made some important decisions under the current Governor Agus Martowardojo. Here, Bank Indonesia has been directed toward achieving the responsibility of making financial decisions that promote consumer price stability over the long-term. This has resulted in widespread gains in the rupiah against a basket of world currencies -- including the US dollar. But recent rate cuts now have the potential to reverse these broader trends.

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Many things happened this week. A devastating terror attack in Nice (France) killed at least 84 people, while - at the time of writing - a coup attempt occurred in Turkey (that seems to have failed). However, these events have little impact on the performance of global stocks and currencies (with the obvious exception of the Turkish lira). Wall Street touched record highs, while Indonesian stocks rose to a 13-month high and the Indonesian rupiah strengthened to a four-month high. Lets take a closer look at the performance of these markets over the past week.

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