Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.
Latest Reports Inflation
On Sunday 5 May 2024 Indonesia Investments released the April 2024 edition of its monthly report. As usual, the report zooms in on topics - relevant in the month of April 2024 - that affect the investment environment of Indonesia.
Over the past couple of months we have often expressed our concern over inflation in Indonesia, particularly low core inflation as it could signal that purchasing power is quite weak. In February 2024 we finally saw some inflationary pressures again in Indonesia with a 0.37 percent month-on-month (m/m) inflation rate.
On Tuesday 5 March 2024 Indonesia Investments released the February 2024 edition of its monthly report. The report focuses on the most important economic, political and social developments in Indonesia in the month of February 2024.
On Sunday (04.02.2024) Indonesia Investments released the January 2024 edition of its monthly report. The report offers analyses of various economic, political and social topics that are relevant in the present.
On Friday 5 January 2024 Indonesia Investments released the December 2023 edition of its monthly report. The report informs readers on the latest -and in our opinion most relevant- economic, political and social developments in Indonesia.
Interestingly enough, November was the month that – so far – brought the biggest inflationary pressures to Indonesia in 2023. The latest data published by Indonesia’s Statistical Office (Badan Pusat Statistik, BPS) showed that headline inflation reached 0.38 percent month-on-month (m/m) in November 2023, higher than expected.
On Tuesday 5 December 2023 Indonesia Investments released the November 2023 edition of its monthly report. The report informs readers on the latest - and in our opinion most relevant - economic, political and social developments in Indonesia.
Inflationary pressures in October 2023 were in line with our expectations. Based on the latest data from Indonesia’s Statistical Office (Badan Pusat Statistik, BPS), Indonesia’s headline inflation was recorded at a rate of 0.17 percent month-on-month (m/m) in October 2023. On an annual basis, inflation accelerated to 2.56 percent year-on-year (y/y), up from 2.28 percent (y/y) in September 2023.
On Sunday 5 November 2023 Indonesia Investments released the October 2023 edition of its monthly report. The report informs readers on the latest - and in our opinion most relevant - economic, political and social developments in Indonesia.
As expected, inflationary pressures increased on a month-on-month (m/m) basis in September 2023. However, on a year-on-year (y/y) basis, Indonesian inflation eased quite significantly as the impact of the subsidized fuel price hike in September 2022 is now removed from the data. Based on the data from Indonesia’s Statistical Office (BPS), Indonesia’s headline inflation decelerated to a rate of 2.28 percent (y/y).
Latest Columns Inflation
Indonesia's main stock index, the IHSG, continued its rally on Wednesday 17 April due to increased US monthly Housing Starts, decreased US inflation, as well as financial results of companies that indicated revenues and net profits exceeded expectations. Moreover, the IMF upgraded its outlook for East Asia's economic, which made investors buy stocks. Within Indonesia, there was enthusiasm regarding Q1-2013 corporate results and dividend payouts, which offset uncertainties about the new fuel policy.
Most of us expected the Jakarta composite index (IHSG) to weaken on Tuesday 16 April 2013 amid mixed Asian stock indices and significantly weakened American and European indices on Monday (that responded to reports about both China's slowing economic growth and weak economic figures of America). Moreover, bomb explosions at the finish line of the marathon of Boston were expected to complicate the performance of the IHSG. But concerns turned out in vain.
The latest World Bank report of East Asia and the Pacific states that "driven by strong domestic demand, economies of developing East Asia and Pacific continue to be an engine of global growth, growing at 7.5 percent in 2012 - higher than any other region in the world." Amid a recovering global economy the report projects that regional growth will rise to 7.8 percent in 2013 and ease to 7.6 percent in 2014.
Last week, I discussed the composition of the ten largest Indonesian companies by market capitalization. For this week's column I have decided to zoom in on the performance of Indonesia's main stock index (IHSG), which has been highly volatile in the last week. It seems like its trend for the upcoming short-term has changed from an upward into a sideward trend. While the Dow Jones Index has been setting new records, the IHSG is showing some signs of fatigue.
Rising American stock indices on Wednesday provided solid support for stock indices around Asia the following day, including Indonesia's main index (IHSG). Amid this global positivity, market players were eager to add stocks to their portfolios. News from Japan, China and the Indonesian central bank's announcement to maintain its low benchmark interest rate were well-received, particularly by domestic market players. It made the IHSG rise to 4,924.26, a 0.96 percent gain.
The central bank of Indonesia (Bank Indonesia, or BI) decided to maintain its record low policy rate for the 15th straight month at 5.75 percent as it is considered consistent with its inflation target range of 3.5-5.5 percent in 2013 and 2014. The central bank also stated that the global economic recovery is accompanied by many uncertainties which result in a lower forecast for Indonesia's economic growth. The full press release of Bank Indonesia can be read below.
In its most recent report, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts Indonesia to continue its robust economic growth. Last year, the economy of Indonesia expanded 6.23 percent, and according to the ADB this figure will rise to 6.4 percent in 2013 and 6.6 percent in 2014. However, since the start of April there have been some issues that are causing Indonesia's stock indices to go down. Although believed to be only temporary, it is worth taking a closer look.
Various high government officials, including president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Finance minister Agus Martowardojo and National Development Planning minister Armida Alisjahbana stated that Indonesia's economy is estimated to grow between 6.3 and 6.8 percent in 2014. Its main economic pillars of support are thought to be (foreign and domestic) investments, domestic consumption, and government expenditure. Poverty is targeted to be reduced to ten percent of the population.
The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG) experienced a mixed week. At the start of the week, the index rose, but towards the end of the week it weakened, although ending in the green on Friday. Recently, the IHSG has hit record levels, and this makes market participants worried that the index might fall in case there emerge negative market sentiments. These concerns are what made the index turn away from the next psychological boundary: 5,000 points.
Usually, news about inflation is not well-received by market participants. Particularly when inflation turns out to be higher than expected. This time, however, something interesting happened in Indonesia. Although the country's March inflation rate was high (5.90 percent year-on-year), it was not followed up by a negative response of market players. In fact, the inflation rate seems to have strengthened the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG), which gained 0.40 percent on Tuesday.
