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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Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) could not continue its rebound on Wednesday (04/09). Amid mostly falling Asian markets, the IHSG fell 2.17 percent to 4,073.46 points. Asia was on a four-day winning streak but after president Obama received support from the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, regarding military actions in Syria, global investors shied away from riskier assets. Indonesia and India are currently viewed as weak investment targets due to the countries' current account deficits.

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Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) rebounded on Tuesday (03/09) amid rising Asian stock indices inflicted by optimism about economic recovery in China and the USA. The IHSG rose 1.53 percent to 4,164.12 points. Agribusiness and mining stocks were the top performers today, while the miscellaneous industry, which fell 0.09 percent, was the only sectoral index on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) that was down. The rupiah depreciated against the US dollar as investors are concerned about July's USD $2.3 billion current account deficit.

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Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) went down 2.23 percent on Monday (02/09) after Statistics Indonesia (BPS) released a number of macroeconomic data. The country's inflation pace increased to 8.79 percent year-on-year, while it posted a record monthly trade deficit in July 2013 (USD $2.31 billion). Investors have been highly concerned about the development of Indonesia's current account deficit and after it became known that the figure was high in July, the IHSG quickly lost value.

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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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Although Indonesia is one of the victims of the reversal of investment flows from emerging markets to developed markets, it is still far from a crisis. Global uncertainty regarding the possible ending of the Federal Reserve's monthly USD $85 billion bond-buying program (QE3) and, to a lesser extent, the possible invasion of the US in Syria have worried investors and resulted in the withdrawal of funds from emerging markets. Funds are flowing back to western developed countries that have recently been showing signs of continued economic recovery.

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Most of us who were hoping for a limited weakening of Indonesia's benchmark stock index (IHSG) today (27/08) were to be disappointed. Instead of a limited decline, the IHSG fell 3.71 percent to 3,967.84 points. Market participants are concerned about both the global and domestic economy, thus pulling money out from Indonesia. The weakening rupiah and weak stock index openings in Europe (due to tensions in Syria) pushed the IHSG further down into red territory. Foreign investors were again net sellers of Indonesian assets.

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After market participants had time in the weekend to think over the 'rescue packages' of the Indonesian government and central bank (Bank Indonesia) that were released on Friday (23/08), they seemed unconvinced about the short-term impact of the packages. As a result, Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG) fell 1.18 percent to 4,120.67 points on Monday (26/08), which is the IHSG's lowest level since 7 September 2012. The Indonesian rupiah gained 0.06 percent to IDR 10,841 (Bank Indonesia's mid rate).

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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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