Setelah kecewa melihat pertumbuhan produk domestik bruto (PDB) yang hanya 4,71% pada basis year-on-year (y/y) di kuartal 1 tahun 2015, para investor merasa kuatir dengan pertumbuhan perekonomian Indonesia pada sisa tahun ini. Pertumbuhan PDB yang lemah disebabkan oleh lemahnya performa ekspor (akibat lambatnya perekonomian global dan rendahnya harga-harga komoditi), tingkat suku bunga Indonesia yang tinggi (mengurangi daya beli masyarakat dan expansi bisnis oleh perusahaan lokal), dan lambatnya belanja pemerintah.

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The Indonesian Automotive Manufacturers Association (Gaikindo) lowered its car sales target for 2015 to 1.1 million vehicles, down from its original sales target of 1.2 million vehicles, due to persistent slowing economic growth in Indonesia (curbing consumer demand). On Tuesday (05/05), Statistics Indonesia announced that the country’s economic growth slowed to 4.71 percent (y/y) in the first quarter of 2015, a five-year low. Other important factors that negatively influence car sales are inflation, the interest rate, the rupiah, and fuel prices.

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Pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia di Q1-2015 dicatat 4,71% pada basis year-on-year (y/y). Meskipun telah diprediksi bahwa angka pertumbuhan produk domestik bruto (PDB) Indonesia akan jatuh di bawah batas 5%, perlambatan ini lebih buruk dari dugaan awal. Suryamin, Kepala Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), menyatakan pada awal hari ini (05/05) bahwa pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia melambat mencapai level terendah selama lima tahun akibat lemahnya ekspor (hasil dari berkurangnya pertumbuhan ekonomi di pasar ekspor) dan rendahnya harga minyak mentah dunia.

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Over the past week the Indonesian rupiah depreciated 0.60 percent to IDR 12,941 per US dollar (Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate). At the start of the week the rupiah experienced severe pressure as market participants were concerned about Indonesia’s slowing economic growth. However, in the second half of the week, Indonesia’s currency somewhat improved as the US dollar was negatively affected by weak US economic data. Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the rupiah finished at IDR 12,922 per US dollar on Friday (24/04).

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On 19 April 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 matters such as an update on Bank Indonesia’s interest rate policy, the performance of the rupiah, the March trade balance, updates on coal, palm oil, cement and car sales, GDP growth forecast, alcohol in Indonesia, and more.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided to maintain its key interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent at Tuesday’s Board of Governors’ Meeting (14 April 2015). The institution also left its deposit facility and lending facility at 5.50 percent and 8.00 percent, respectively. Bank Indonesia considers this level to be effective in order to push the country’s inflation rate back into its target range of 3-5 percent (y/y) in both 2015 and 2016. It is also convinced that this interest rate environment will improve the current account balance.

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Di dalam Update Perekonomian Asia Timur dan Pasifik dari Bank Dunia, dirilis hari Senin (13/04), institusi yang bermarkas di Washington ini merevisi turun proyeksi pertumbuhan ekonomi Indonesia menjadi 5,2% pada basis year-on-year (y/y) di 2015, menurun dari 5,6% di Update Bank Dunia sebelumnya. Penyebab utama penurunan proyeksi ini adalah performa ekspor Indonesia yang tetap lemah karena lambatnya perekonomian dunia, termasuk lemahnya permintaan dari Republik Rakyat Tionghoa (mitra dagang terbesar Indonesia). Sementara itu, konsumsi domestik Indonesia dibatasi tingkat suku bunga yang tinggi.

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Pada 22 Maret 2015, Indonesia Investments menerbitkan edisi newsletter-nya yang terbaru. Newsletter gratis ini, yang dikirimkan kepada para pelanggan kami sekali setiap minggunya, berisi berita-berita paling penting yang telah dilaporkan di website kami dalam 7 hari terakhir. Kebanyakan topik berkaitan dengan isu-isu ekonomi seperti analisis performa rupiah, analisis tentang suku bunga acuan Bank Indonesia, update Bank Dunia, neraca perdagangan, jasa keuangan syariah, reformasi perekonomian, dan masih banyak lagi.

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Tampaknya, pesan Federal Reserve bahwa Fed masih menunda menaikkan suku bunga di Amerika Serikat (AS) hanya mengimplikasikan periode singkat pelemahan dollar AS terhadap mata uang Asia. Pada hari Jumat (20/03), rupiah melemah 0,51% menjadi Rp 13.124 per dollar AS menurut Bloomberg Dollar Index. Volatilitas tinggi pada saat ini juga merupakan akibat dari kebijakan berbeda yang diterapkan oleh berbagai bank sentral. Sementara Federal Reserve AS bertekad untuk lebih mengetatkan kebijakan moneternya, bank sentral di Jepang dan Eropa melakukan sebaliknya.

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Bank Sentral Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) memutuskan untuk tetap menjaga suku bunga acuannya pada 7,5% sebagai hasil keputusan pertemuan Dewan Gubernur Bank Indonesia (BI) yang dilakukan hari ini. Suku bunga overnight deposit facility dan suku bunga lending facility dipertahankan masing-masing 5,5% dan 8%. BI menganggap bahwa kondisi suku bunga saat ini sesuai dengan targetnya untuk mendorong inflasi ke dalam target antara 3,0% sampai 5,0% dalam basis year on year (y/y) di tahun 2015 dan mengurangi defisit neraca transaksi berjalan Indonesia antara 2,5% sampai 3,0% dari produk domestik bruto (PDB).

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Last week Friday (30/08), Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) ended 2.23 percent up to the level of 4,195.09 points, continuing its three-day 'winning streak'. Underlying reasons being the central bank's new policy package (that was released as a response towards the negative impact of global turmoil on Indonesia's financial stability) and the higher benchmark interest rate (BI rate). The BI rate was raised 50 basis points on Thursday (29/08) to 7.0 percent to stabilize the weakening rupiah that fell to IDR 11,000 per US dollar.

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The decision of Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) to raise its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points to 7.00 percent and its deposit facility (Fasbi) by 0.50 percent to 5.25 percent seem to have had a good impact on the value of Indonesia's stocks and the rupiah. Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) rose 2.23 percent to 4,195.09 points on Friday (30/08), implying a three-day winning streak. Since the first trading day of this year, the IHSG is down 3.47 percent.

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For the second day in a row Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) was able to post a gain. Today, it rose 1.92 percent to 4,103.59 points. This rebound is possibly the result of the higher key interest rate. Yesterday, it was announced that the central bank (Bank Indonesia) scheduled an extra meeting to discuss monetary policy. Immediately speculation emerged that the BI rate might be raised by 50 basis points. And indeed it was raised, much to the liking of many investors and analysts.

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Indonesia's current account deficit, which caused much alarm among the investor community, is expected to ease to about 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the second half of 2013. This assumption is supported by Indonesia's central bank and various analysts. The country's current account deficit reached USD $9.8 billion or 4.4 percent of GDP in Q2-2013. In combination with the weakening rupiah, higher inflation and the possible end to the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program, investors have been pulling money out of Indonesia.

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Despite the announcement of an economic policy package aimed at overcoming the impact of global financial turmoil, Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) was not able to end the week on a positive note, while the value of the rupiah on the spot market depreciated 1.68 percent to IDR 11,058 per US dollar on Friday (23/08) amid a majority of strengthening Asian currencies, including the Indian rupee (0.67 percent) and the Thai baht (0.28 percent). Based on Bank Indonesia's mid rate, the rupiah fell 4.4 percent against the US dollar to IDR 10,848 last week.

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For several weeks now, Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) has been experiencing a sharp correction. As I wrote in my previous columns, market participants have been waiting for several important macro economic data, to wit Indonesia's economic growth figure for the second quarter of 2013, the July 2013 inflation rate, and the country's trade balance statistics for the first six months of this year. Now all above results have been released, we can analyze further the impact of these macroeconomic results as well as investors' reaction to it.

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After two days of growth, Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) became victim of profit taking on Thursday (15/08). Particularly domestic investors were eager to sell their Indonesian assets. Falling indices on Wall Street on Wednesday (14/08) in combination with global uncertainty about the end of the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program made a negative impact on Asian stock indices, including the IHSG. Indonesia's central bank's decision to keep its benchmark interest rate at 6.50% was well-received by most investors.

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After Wall Street turned back into the green zone on Tuesday (13/08) and was accompanied by continued rising stock indices in Europe, it provided good support for Asian stock indices on Wednesday (14/08), including Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG). Indonesian mining commodities and plantation stocks fell but these losses were offset by rising big cap stocks (particularly finance stocks) and speculation that Indonesia's central bank will keep its benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 6.50 percent.

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Worldwide, most stock indices fell on Wednesday (07/08), particularly Japan's Nikkei index, after it has been speculated that the Federal Reserve may phase out the third round of its quantitative easing program in September 2013. This program, involving a monthly USD $85 billion bond-buying package, aims to spur US economic growth while keeping interest rates low. However, one important side effect has been rising stock markets around the globe. Now the end of QE3 is in sight, investors shy away from riskier assets.

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Indonesia’s inflation rate in July 2013 was significantly higher than analysts had previously estimated. The country’s July inflation figure accelerated to 3.29 percent. On year-on-year basis, it now stands at 8.61 percent, the highest inflation rate since many years. Particularly food commodity and transportation prices rose steeply. The main reason for Indonesia's high inflation is the reduction in fuel subsidies. In late June, the government increased the prices of subsidized fuels in order to relieve the ballooning budget deficit.

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