Indonesian newspaper Investor Daily reported that stocks at the Indonesia Stock Exchange are still relatively cheap compared to regional stock indices. Currently, the price to earnings ratio (P/E ratio) of Indonesia's main index is about 18. In contrast, South Korea's Kospi index amounts to 34, Japan's Nikkei 28, Taiwan's Taiex 23, and Philippines' PSE stands at 23 times earnings. As the Indonesian economy as well as its companies' profit figures are projected to grow, the P/E is expected to fall to 16 this year.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded its forecast for this year's economic growth in the ASEAN-5 countries (which comprises Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam) from an initial 5.5 percent to 6.0 percent. Next year, however, the IMF revised down its forecast for the region from 5.7 percent to 5.5 percent. In 2012, ASEAN-5 had experienced 6.1 percent of economic growth, up from 4.5 percent the previous year.

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Indonesia's palm oil exports (palm oil and palm kernel) rose by 9.1 percent (month-on-month) to 2.04 million metric tons in February, according to data from the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki). This level - the highest in about five years - was brought on due to increased purchases from China and Pakistan. Indonesia's palm oil industry may experience a better year in 2013 as exports in the first two months of 2013 rose 29 percent from last year.

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BW Plantation (BWPT), a mid-sized crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernels (PK) producer, felt the impact of weak global demand for commodities in 2012. The company's net profit in 2012 fell 18.17 percent to IDR 262.18 billion (US $26.89 million). Profit per share fell to IDR 64,83 from IDR 79,35 per share last year. The decline in profit was particularly caused by an increase in operating expenses from IDR 131.05 billion (US $13.44 million) to IDR 153.87 billion (US $15.78 million).

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Indonesia has been named one of the world's least attractive places regarding foreign investment in the mining sector according to a survey conducted by Canadian think-tank the Fraser Institute. Major concerns include legal uncertainty and red tape (bureacracy). Moreover, the country has been showing a worsening trend in recent years as its rank declined from 72th in 2009 to 97th in 2013.

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Yesterday, Trans Power Marine made a solid debut on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG). The Indonesian shipping company listed 15 percent of its shares in the initial public offering (IPO) for the price of IDR 230 per share. At the end of the trading day, its shares had surged by 50 percent to IDR 345 (US $0.04). In total, the company gained IDR 90.85 billion (US $9.4 million) through the IPO. These funds will be used to buy new vessels.

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Exports of Indonesian palm oil may drop to 1.51 million metric tonnes (MT) in February, a 5.6 percent decline from January. Importers prefer to buy the commodity in Malaysia where the government has put in place a duty free tariff on its palm oil exports in order to reduce large stockpiles. Indonesia, on the other hand, has a nine percent export duty as the government tries to gain more revenue out of its natural resources.

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Inflation in June 2014 increased by 0.43 percent (month-to-month, mtm) in accordance with the traditional pattern ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations. These occasions always trigger inflationary pressures as consumers increase spending. However, June inflation remains under control and is even lower than the historical average in June in recent years (0.56 percent mtm). On a year-on-year (yoy) basis, inflation stood at 6.70 percent, thus continuing the downward trend since the beginning of 2014.

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Head of Statistics Indonesia (BPS) Suryamin announced on Tuesday (01/07) that the number of poor people in Indonesia declined slightly to 28.28 million people (or 11.25 percent of the total population) in March 2014, from 28.60 million (11.46 percent of the total population) in September 2013. However, compared to March last year, poverty has increased by 110,000 people due to high inflation and a slowing economy; economic growth slowed to 5.78 percent in 2013 and this decline continued to 5.21 percent in the first quarter of 2014.

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On Thursday 12 June 2014 it was decided at the central bank’s Board of Governors’ Meeting to maintain the country’s benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, with the Lending Facility rate and Deposit Facility rate held at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent, respectively. This decision is consistent with ongoing efforts to steer inflation back towards its target corridor of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4.0±1 percent in 2015, as well as to reduce Indonesia’s current account deficit to a more sustainable level.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) decided at today’s Bank Indonesia Board of Governors’ Meeting, convened on 8 May 2014, to maintain the country's benchmark interest rate (BI rate) at 7.50 percent, with the Lending Facility rate and Deposit Facility rate held at 7.50 percent and 5.75 percent respectively. This policy is consistent with efforts to steer the rate of inflation towards its target corridor of 4.5±1 percent in 2014 and 4.0±1 percent in 2015, as well as to reduce the current account deficit to a more sustainable level.

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The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia) stated that the country's inflation outcome in April 2014 is further evidence of a continuing downward trend. In fact, Indonesia's consumer price index (CPI) in April recorded deflation of -0.02 percent month-to-month (mtm) or 7.25 percent year-on-year (yoy), thus easing compared to 0.08 percent (mtm) of inflation or 7.32 percent (yoy) in March 2014. Since January 2014, Indonesia has now recorded moderating inflation, both on a monthly and annual basis.

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Australia's Bureau of Meteorology is increasingly convinced that the world needs to prepare for a new El Niño cycle. According to the institution, the impact of this new cycle will be felt starting from July 2014 and may continue through the winter. Also the European Center for Medium range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) and the US Climate Prediction Center stated that chances of a new El Niño cycle in 2014 are becoming higher, although it is too early to provide an indication of this year's strength of the weather phenomenon.

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Although Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, contains an abundance of commodities and has the world's fourth-largest population, the country's export and import figures are still small compared to the world's leading exporting and importing countries (see table below). There are many - and much smaller - countries that post much more impressive import and export data. In terms of exports, Indonesia is too dependent on commodities (accounting for around 60 percent of all exports) causing problems in times of price downswings.

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Imports of oil will accelerate to 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2020 if fuels continue to be subsidized by the Indonesian government. This development will seriously burden Indonesia's trade balance (and current account). In 2013, Indonesia posted a trade deficit of USD $12.6 billion in the oil & gas sector. Due to improved performance in the non-oil & gas sector, the overall trade deficit was kept at USD $4.06 billion. Besides placing downward pressure on the rupiah exchange rate, expensive subsidies also burden the state budget.

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Indonesia has the potential to become a global force in the biodiesel industry because of the country’s position as the world’s top producer of crude palm oil (CPO). In 2014, Indonesia’s CPO production is estimated to total 30 million tons. Traditionally, Indonesia exports about 75 percent of its total CPO production, particularly to the giant economies of China and India. As such, this commodity is one of Indonesia's most important foreign exchange earners, apart from coal, in the non-oil and gas sector.

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Coal is one of the most important commodities for Indonesia in terms of state revenue as it accounts for about 85 percent of the country's total mining revenue. Therefore, when global coal prices fell sharply from 2011 (amid a slowing global economy), Indonesia felt the impact. In a response to lower coal prices, Indonesian miners actually increased coal output thus placing more downward pressure on coal prices and profit margins. Although the coal industry will remain frail for some time to come, long-term prospects are still strong.

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