• Market Update: Indonesian Stocks & Rupiah Strengthen on Friday

    Indonesian stocks and the rupiah improved on the last trading day of the week supported by moderately rising indices on Wall Street on Thursday (07/05), which was in stark contrast to heavy selling that occurred one day earlier after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s statement that US stock prices may be overvalued. Meanwhile, weak trade data from China could a reason for policymakers to provide more stimulus. Indonesia’s benchmark stock index climbed 0.62 percent to 5,182.21 points on Friday (08/05).

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  • What is Next for the Indonesian Economy in 2015?

    After seeing the disappointing GDP growth figure of 4.71 percent (y/y) in the first quarter of 2015, investors have become concerned about Indonesia’s economic growth in the remainder of the year. The poor Q1-2015 GDP growth was caused by the country’s weak export performance (due to the sluggish global economy and low commodity prices), Indonesia’s high interest rate environment (curbing people’s purchasing power and business expansion of local companies), and sluggish government spending.

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  • Why Did Indonesian Stocks and Rupiah Weaken Today?

    The Indonesian rupiah depreciated sharply, while the country’s stocks fell. According to the Bloomberg Dollar Index, Indonesia’s currency depreciated 0.86 percent to IDR 13,148 per US dollar on Thursday (07/05). This performance was in line with the performance of other Asian currencies. Of the 11 Asian currencies that are followed by Bloomberg, only Japan’s yen appreciated against the US dollar. The Indian rupee was the worst performer today, weakening 1.06 percent against the greenback.

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  • Ghana & Indonesia’s Poor Cocoa Production Leads to Global Shortage

    Chances of chocolate-based candy or food products becoming more expensive in the near future have grown due to the weak harvest in Ghana, the world’s second-largest cocoa producer. Most likely, the country will fail to fulfill sales contracts hence leading to higher global cocoa prices. In New York and London cocoa futures jumped roughly seven percent in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Indonesian cocoa exports declined 56 percent (y/y) in April 2015. The main cocoa producing regions have been struggling with bad weather and diseases.

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