The European Central Bank’s decision to introduce a 60 million euro per month bond-buying program (quantitative easing) up to September 2016 - a move to boost the Eurozone economy - has caused positive sentiments in Indonesia as increased global liquidity is expected to benefit emerging markets. The benchmark stock index of Indonesia rose 1.35 percent hence hitting a new all-time high at 5,323.88 points. Meanwhile, the rupiah appreciated 0.23 percent to IDR 12,459 per US dollar based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index.

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Indonesian investment fund managers may be allowed to include foreign assets in their mutual funds (conventional and Islamic-based mutual funds), offered to investors, soon. Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan, abbreviated OJK) is currently formulating new regulations - expected to be finalized by June 2015 - that would allow to include foreign assets in an attempt to reduce risks by diversifying mutual fund portfolios. Indonesian investment managers had been requesting for this new regulation.

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Indonesian tobacco giant Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna (HM Sampoerna), subsidiary of Philip Morris International, is studying the requirement to increase its free float ratio from (a mere) 1.82 percent to 7.50 percent. Last year, the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) announced that it would force listed companies to offer at least 7.50 percent of their enlarged equity to the public. This rule will come into effect in January 2016. HM Sampoerna is the third-largest Indonesian company in terms of market capitalization (IDR 295 trillion).

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Bank Yudha Bhakti, an Indonesian commercial bank, made its trading debut on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on Tuesday (13/01). Shares of the small-sized lender immediately soared nearly 70 percent. The bank, which is listed under the code BBYD, offered 300 million shares (11.9 percent of its equity) to the public for a price of IDR 115 per share thus raising IDR 34.5 billion (USD $2.8 million). The initial public offering (IPO) of Bank Yudha Bhakti is the first IPO on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2015.

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Three Indonesian companies are expected to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in the first quarter of 2015. These companies are Bank Yudha Bhakti, Mitra Keluarga and Mitra Energi Persada. Hoesen, Director of Corporate Valuation at the IDX, said that the listing of Mitra Energi Persada (an oil, gas and coal distributor) is actually a re-listing as the company had de-listed from the Exchange in 2007. The company is expected to offer 11 percent of its enlarged equity to the public.

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In terms of market capitalization, the largest listed company on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) is now Bank Central Asia (BCA). BCA, Indonesia’s second largest bank by assets, managed to surpass HM Sampoerna and Astra International at the end of 2014 with a value of IDR 320 trillion (USD $26.6 billion), or 6.1 percent of total market capitalization of the IDX (IDR 5,228 trillion). Despite tougher conditions in Indonesia’s financial sector (amid a higher interest rate environment) shares of BCA rose 36.7 percent in 2014.

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Bank Yudha Bhakti, an Indonesian commercial bank, is preparing an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). The company will offer 300 million shares, or 11.9 percent of its enlarged equity, to the public and plans to raise IDR 34.5 billion (USD $2.8 million) as it offers the shares at IDR 115 per piece. The offering starts between 5 and 7 January 2015, while listing at the IDX is planned for 13 January 2015. Underwriters for the IPO are Semesta Indovest and Equator Securities.

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Gold miner Archi Indonesia, unit of the Rajawali Corpora Group, decided to postpone its initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) due to the sluggish global economy resulting in the weak global gold price (which is currently touching four-year lows). Archi Indonesia’s IPO was planned to be held this December and was estimated to be the largest IPO on the IDX in 2014 in terms of capital raised (roughly USD $285 million), exceeding the value of taxi operator Blue Bird’s IPO earlier this year.

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A total of six Indonesian companies are expected to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in December 2014. Today (Wednesday 03/12), shipping company Soechi Lines made its trading debut, raising around IDR 582.5 billion (USD $48 million) by offering 1 billion new shares, or 15 percent of the company’s enlarged capital, to the public. The company’s shares surged as much as 27 percent after the opening. It was the 20th company to list on the IDX in 2014.

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Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) in cooperation with the Indonesian Bond Pricing Agency (IBPA) and the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) has launched a bond index on Friday (21/11) involving government and corporate bonds that should function as a reference for the pricing and performance. This new index is called the INDOBEX and is divided into three types of indices: INDOBEX Composite, INDOBEX Government and INDOBEX Corporate. Each index has a total return, clean price, gross price, effective yield and gross yield index.

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After the one-day holiday due to the Islamic new year, Indonesia's benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) started in the red on Wednesday (06/11) amid the continued depreciation of the rupiah exchange rate against the US dollar and the mixed performance of Asian stock indices (influenced by weakening global indices on the previous day). However, during the day a number of stocks, which had fallen previously, became popular investment targets, which supported the index.

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On Monday (04/11), Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) fell 0.21 percent to 4,423.29 points. Besides the negative influence of falling indices across Asia and foreign net selling of Indonesian stocks, the IHSG was also dragged down by the continued depreciation of the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate (against the US dollar). When US manufacturing data showed that manufacturing activity grew faster than expected in October, the US dollar gained and thus the rupiah became pressured.

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Last week, the Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG) weakened. The benchmark stock index of Indonesia was affected by negative market sentiments brought on by domestic factors. Most importantly, the large-scale demonstrations across Indonesia by Indonesian workers who demanded for higher minimum wages as annual inflation has surged since June 2013 after prices of subsidized fuels were raised. These demands, however, jeopardize the attractiveness of Indonesia's investment climate.

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The Jakarta Composite Index (Indonesia's benchmark stock index) fell 1.73 percent on Friday (01/11) to 4,432.58 points. A persistent concern for investors is the tapering issue of the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing program. Analysts expect the program to continue at a pace of USD $85 billion per month until at least March 2014, but investors remain concerned. Another issue that brought negative market sentiments was September's trade figure, which was released today. In September, Indonesia recorded a trade deficit of USD $657.2 million.

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Despite foreign investors recording a net buy on the Jakarta Composite Index on Thursday (31/10), a depreciating rupiah as well as falling stock indices across Asia made investors concerned. Thus, the benchmark index of Indonesia followed the pace of other Asian indices and ended on 4,510.63 points (a 1.40 percent fall). The outcome of the Federal Reserve's FOMC meeting did not support the rupiah. On the contrary, the rupiah fell after the Fed stated to continue quantitative easing but that the tapering may start sooner than expected.

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In line with falling Asian indices, Indonesia's benchmark stock index (the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) was down on Tuesday (29/10). Investors are cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting and thus used today to engage in profit taking. The IHSG fell 0.60 percent to 4,562.77 points. Moreover, the appreciating trend of the rupiah exchange rate was disturbed ahead of the Fed meeting and which also formed a contributing factor for the fall of the IHSG today. Foreign investors recorded a net sell, while domestic investors recorded a net buy.

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Wall Street and European indices being up at the end of last week had a positive impact on Asian stock indices on Monday (28/10), despite experiencing a correction during today's trading day. The Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG), Indonesia's benchmark stock index, joined this trend. After making a strong start, it became susceptible to profit taking and thus had a mixed performance although it ended at 4,590.54 points, a 0.21 percent increase. The IHSG was supported by foreign net buying and an appreciating rupiah exchange rate.

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Although at the start of the day the Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG) went into red territory, it rebounded and managed to gain 1.06 percent to 4,594.85 points at the end of Thursdays' trading day (24/10). Factors that positively influenced the IHSG were net foreign buying of Indonesian stocks and a number of corporate earnings reports that met investors' expectation. These included various property companies such as Sentul City and Modernland Realty as well as a number of banks. The rupiah, on the other hand, depreciated again.

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Amid falling Asian stock indices, Indonesia's benchmark stock index (the IHSG or Jakarta Composite Index) managed to gain 33.8 points to 4,546.50 (+0.75 percent) on Wednesday (23/10). The main reason for today's upward movement was large-scale stock purchases by domestic investors, who are more confident now after it has been expected that the Federal Reserve will not tone down its massive bond-buying program (quantitative easing) in the near future. A few blue chips, including Bank Mandiri and Unilever, were popular stocks today.

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Indonesia's benchmark stock index, the Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG), was unable to continue its rising trend of the last week on Tuesday's trading day (22/10). Mixed indices in the United States on the previous day in combination with falling indices in Asia impacted negatively on the IHSG. Other factors that contributed to the IHSG's 1.43 percent downslide to 4,512.74 on Tuesday were weak openings of stock indices in Europe as well as continued foreign selling of Indonesian stocks.

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