The four largest privately-held Indonesian conglomerates that have assets listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) are the Astra Group, Salim Group, Lippo Group, and Sinar Mas Group. Combined, all listed companies controlled by these four groups account for 17.50 percent of total market capitalization on the IDX (total market capitalization on the IDX was IDR 5,027.27 trillion or USD $430 billion on 15 July 2014). Currently, the largest listed firm on the IDX is Astra International, the ‘vehicle’ of the Astra Group.

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The Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the investment service agency of the Indonesian government, is optimistic that investment realization in Indonesia (Southeast Asia’s largest economy) can surpass the level of IDR $100 trillion (USD $8.5 billion) in the second semester of 2014. Sectors that see increased investments in this quarter are the consumer goods and mining sectors. Total investments in Indonesia in the first quarter of 2014 reached IDR 106.6 trillion, an all-time record high quarterly investment realization.

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Although investors in Indonesian stocks received positive news from the USA after Federal Reserve Head Janet Yellen stated on Tuesday (15/07) that the US economic recovery remains incomplete therefore justifying the continuation of a loose monetary policy for the foreseeable future as well as solid economic expansion of 7.5 percent (yoy) in China during the second quarter of 2014, the domestic political context in Southeast Asia’s largest economy remains a concern. What are the latest political developments in Indonesia?

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Five emerging markets, India, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Indonesia, have become known to the world in 2013 as the ‘Fragile Five’, a term coined by analysts at Morgan Stanley. This term refers to those five emerging economies that were considered most vulnerable to the winding down of the US Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing program (bond-buying program) as capital inflows dried up, or, in fact reversed. The five countries were assessed as risky due to their twin fiscal and current-account deficits, slowing economic growth and high inflation.

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