The International Monetary Fund (IMF) detects a slowdown in GDP growth in major emerging market economies and decline in commodity prices, and more recently, a reversal in push factors tied to a prospective exit from extraordinarily easy global monetary conditions, has put pressure on Indonesia’s balance of payments and heightened its vulnerability to shocks. Domestic policy accommodation and rising energy subsidies have also given rise to increased external and fiscal imbalances.

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Indonesia Investments uploaded the preliminary company profile of Intraco Penta (INTA). The company is an Indonesian heavy equipment manufacturer and distributor which distributes various heavy equipment brands, such as Volvo, Ingersoll-Rand, Bobcat, SDLG, Mahindra and Sinotruk. The company integrates a wide range of businesses from sales of heavy equipments (both new and used), financing, rental of heavy equipments, manufacturing, engineering and mining contracting.

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Although the ban on the export of unprocessed minerals, which is set to start on 12 January 2014, is expected to result in a direct revenue loss of USD $4 billion in 2014 due to a decline in mineral exports, Deputy Finance Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro believes that from 2016 onward a trade surplus can be recorded in Indonesia's minerals sector. In 2014, Indonesia's minerals sector may show a USD $10 billion trade deficit. But exports of processed minerals may grow from USD $4.9 billion in 2013 to USD $9 billion in 2015.

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Indonesia Investments updated the company profile of Salim Ivomas Pratama. The company, controlled by the Salim Group, is one of Indonesia's largest vertically integrated agribusiness players. It is a leading oil palm plantation company that - besides producing crude palm oil, fresh fruit bunches, palm kernel and other palm oil derivative products - also produces rubber and sugar cane. Salim Ivomas Pratama is known as the leading producer of cooking oil and margarine.

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The tea industry of Indonesia has been in decline in the last decade. During this decade, the size of Indonesia's tea plantations fell from 150,000 hectares (ha) to 120,000 ha. The country's tea production and tea export slowed, while tea import grew. The lucrative business prospects of palm oil is partly responsible to have caused Indonesia's tea output to stagnate as some tea plantations have been transformed into palm oil plantations. To reverse this situation, the Indonesian government intends to revitalize the country's tea sector.

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Fitch Ratings, one of the three major global rating agencies, affirmed Indonesia's sovereign credit rating at BBB- with a stable outlook. In a press release, the rating agency mentioned four key factors that led to the affirmation of the sovereign rating. These are: good policy management by Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) and government amid external pressures, relatively high economic growth, prudent fiscal management (resulting in low public debt), and a strong banking sector (confirmed by multiple stress tests).

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Moody's Investors Service, one of the big credit rating agencies, stated in its 'Credit Analysis: Indonesia' report that - despite the ongoing current account deficit (which is considered to be structural) and a relatively shallow and volatile domestic capital market (which contributes to Indonesia’s reliance on external funding) - the agency is positive about Indonesia's outlook due to its growth prospects, narrow fiscal deficits and low public debt. Indonesian government bonds are rated at Baa3, which is Moody's lowest investment-grade status.

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Indonesia Investments added a preliminary company profile of Timah (TINS), an Indonesian manufacturer and exporter of tin. The company, a state-controlled enterprise (SOE), has an integrated tin mining business ranging from exploration, mining, processing to marketing. The company is one of the largest integrated tin mining companies in the world and accounts for eight percent of total global tin production. Recently, the company has been eager to expand to Myanmar in order to increase production volumes.

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Indonesia Investments has updated the company profile of Bakrie Sumatera Plantations. The company is an Indonesian integrated agribusiness company that engages in oil palm and rubber plantations. It produces palm oil and its derivatives, and processes natural rubber products as well as oleo-chemicals. The company currently manages oil palm and rubber plantations with a total planted area of 122,024 ha, supported by six palm oil processing plants, four natural rubber processing plants and two oleo-chemicals processing facilities.

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The company profile of state-controlled Aneka Tambang (Antam) has been updated in the Indonesian companies' section. Antam is a vertically integrated, export-oriented, diversified mining and metals company in Indonesia. With operations spread throughout the mineral-rich archipelago, Antam undertakes all activities from exploration, exploitation, processing, refining to the marketing of its nickel ore, ferronickel, gold, silver, bauxite, coal and precious metals refining services.

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Shareholders of Astra Agro Lestari, Indonesia's largest agribusiness company by value (which is particularly engaged in palm oil and rubber plantations), agreed to distribute IDR 1.08 trillion (USD $111 million) in dividends to its shareholders. The allocated amount is equivalent to about 45 percent of the company's net profit in 2012. Dividend per share is set at IDR 685 (USD $0.071). Last November, the company had already paid interim dividend of IDR 230 per share. Final dividend will be paid on 3 June 2013.

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Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published its World Economic Outlook (edition April 2013) titled "Hopes, Realities and Risks". In the report, the IMF lowered its forecast for global economic growth from an initial 3.5 percent (January edition) to 3.3 percent currently. Although the IMF lowered its economic forecasts for most countries (including emerging markets as a whole), it revised up its projection for the ASEAN-5 countries¹ by 0.3 percent to 5.9 percent.

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Last week, I provided a basic introduction to investments in Indonesia's capital markets. Now, I will devote my column to the ten largest Indonesian companies by market capitalization. But first let me explain why I take the ten largest companies? Well, simply because these ten companies account for 43.71 percent of Indonesia's total market capitalization. In other words, they reflect almost half of the current condition of the country's capital markets.

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Yesterday, Statistics Indonesia (BPS), a non-departmental government institution, released Indonesia's export and import numbers of February 2013. Indonesia's imports reached US $15.32 billion, while its exports stood at US $14.99 billion. It has thus resulted in the continuation of a trade deficit (US $327.4 million). For Indonesia, which always reported trade surpluses until last year, it is a worrying scenario as the trade deficit and higher inflation put pressure on the IDR rupiah.

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This week, the World Bank published its Indonesia Economic Quarterly (IEQ, edition March 2013) titled 'Pressures Mounting'. It reports on key developments over the past three months in Indonesia’s economy, and places these in a longer-term and global context. To read the whole report, please visit the World Bank's website at www.worldbank.org or download this edition directly through this link. Below we present the executive summary.

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The chairman of the Indonesia Coal Mining Association said that Indonesia's coal exports are expected to increase from 310 million tons in 2012 to 330 million tons in 2013, a 6.5 percent increase. Coal producers have been facing a tough period since July 2008 when global coal demand weakened and triggered volatile - but mostly declining - coal prices ever since. Coal demand from China and India, however, is expected to increase this year.

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Indonesian companies engaged in the production of a variety of agricultural products, such as palm oil, experienced a rather poor year in 2012 regarding net profit. Global economic turmoil has reduced the world's consumption of palm oil in both the developed markets and developing markets. In particular decreased demand from China, the world’s biggest buyer after India, made a negative impact on the balance sheets of Indonesian companies.

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The Indonesian government - through its Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry - has stated to provide fiscal incentives to encourage oil and gas exploration in Indonesia. Indonesia, a former OPEC member, has recorded a declining oil production since the 1990s due to a lack of exploration and investments in this sector. To reverse this situation, the government will provide a number of tax exemptions.

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