Meanwhile, market participants are also awaiting the speech of Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen later on Friday (03/03) in Chicago. This speech could shed more light on the Fed's monetary policy stance. Given the recovering US economy markets are increasingly expecting a Fed Funds Rate hike in March 2017, particularly as more and more Fed officials express "hawkish" statements. The next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting is scheduled for 14-15 March.

Last week it was announced that US jobless claims declined to its lowest level in decades, hence strengthening the belief that the Federal Reserve is moving closer to achieving its full employment and inflation targets. This coupled with expectation of US President Donald Trump boosting government spending and easing regulations, while introducing corporate tax cuts and massive tax relief for the middle class, should lead to tightening monetary policy in the USA.

Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5 percent to 21,002.97, the S&P 500 slid 0.6 percent to 2,381.92, while the Nasdaq Composite Index lost 0.7 percent to close at 5,861.22. Although there is concern about valuation, and whether the recent peaks of US stock indices are in tune with reality, the rally is not expected to cease yet. Emerging market assets, on the contrary, are expected to feel the impact of higher US interest rates as capital will flow from these emerging markets to the USA ahead of looming higher US rates.

Bank Indonesia's benchmark rupiah rate (Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate, abbreviated JISDOR) depreciated 0.10 percent to IDR 13,375 per US dollar on Friday (03/03).

Indonesian Rupiah versus US Dollar (JISDOR):

| Source: Bank Indonesia

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