Update COVID-19 in Indonesia: 248,852 confirmed infections, 9,677 deaths (21 September 2020)
Indonesia Investments Report - August 2020 Edition: In Search of a Vaccine
21 September 2020 (closed)
USD/IDR (14,835) +53.01 +0.36%
EUR/IDR (17,329) -58.56 -0.34%
Jakarta Composite Index (4,999.36) -59.86 -1.18%
Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.
Today's Headlines Inflation
As we predicted last month, August 2020 brought mild deflation to Indonesia. Based on the latest data from Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS), the consumer price index posted deflation of 0.05 percent month-on-month (m/m).
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brings unusual times for any country, especially in terms of the economic and social environments. In the case of Indonesia it has triggered historically low headline inflation, namely 1.54 percent year-on-year (y/y) after July 2020 brought deflation of -0.10 percent month-on-month (m/m).
On Wednesday (05/08/2020) Indonesia Investments released the July 2020 edition of its monthly report. In this edition, titled 'A Modest Rebound', we discuss the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the Indonesian economy, Indonesia's automotive industry, and a range of other topics.
In June 2020 the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continued to undermine business activity and consumer demand across Indonesia, hence triggering very low inflation, namely 0.18 percent month-on-month (m/m).
Indonesia’s inflation rate was unusually mild in May 2020. According to the latest data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the country’s consumer price index (CPI) stood at 0.07 percent month-on-month (m/m) only.
As expected, Indonesia’s inflation rate was quite low in April 2020. According to the latest data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the consumer price index (CPI) stood at 0.08 percent month-on-month (m/m) in April.
Indonesia posted inflation of 0.10 percent month-on-month (m/m) in March 2020, almost unchanged from a pace of 0.11 percent (m/m) in the same month one year earlier. Hence, Indonesia’s consumer price index (abbreviated: CPI) increased 2.96 percent year-on-year (y/y) in March 2020 (from 2.97 percent in the preceding month).
Indonesia’s February 2020 inflation accelerated slightly more than analysts had expected. The consumer price index (CPI) increased 2.98 percent year-on-year (y/y), up from 2.68 percent (y/y) in the preceding month.
In the first month of 2020, Indonesian inflation was slightly lower than we had expected. Indonesia inflation was recorded at 0.39 percent month-on-month (m/m) in January 2020.
Indonesian inflation was kept at a very mild rate of 0.34 percent month-on-month (m/m) in December 2019. This is remarkably low inflation considering the last month of the year usually triggers a significant increase in demand for consumer goods in the context of the Christmas and New Year celebrations. It is also a period when many Indonesians opt for a holiday.
Latest Columns Inflation
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.
With a number of important global stock exchanges still closed due to Easter, it seemed that the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG) lacked a reference point to which it could cling. It is also likely that market participants have already consumed most of the 2012 corporate company reports and are therefore not waiting for new data of listed companies. Moreover, today's announcement of the relative high inflation rate of March did not support the IHSG either.
Yesterday, Statistics Indonesia (BPS), a non-departmental government institution, released Indonesia's export and import numbers of February 2013. Indonesia's imports reached US $15.32 billion, while its exports stood at US $14.99 billion. It has thus resulted in the continuation of a trade deficit (US $327.4 million). For Indonesia, which always reported trade surpluses until last year, it is a worrying scenario as the trade deficit and higher inflation put pressure on the IDR rupiah.
This week, the World Bank published its Indonesia Economic Quarterly (IEQ, edition March 2013) titled 'Pressures Mounting'. It reports on key developments over the past three months in Indonesia’s economy, and places these in a longer-term and global context. To read the whole report, please visit the World Bank's website at www.worldbank.org or download this edition directly through this link. Below we present the executive summary.
After continuously reaching new record-high levels last week, the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG) finally had to give up some of its gain and closed 1.04 percent lower. Declining Asian stock markets (excluding Japan's main index) and fears that the IHSG had already reached a (too) high level impacted on today's result. Market participants, who recently confirmed good corporate annual results of many companies by buying, now engaged in profit taking.
Apparently, yesterday's decline was only a small stumbling block for the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG). Indonesia's main indicator rebounded strongly after feeling the effects of stronger American stock indices that were positively influenced by a rise in Housing Index and Consumer Confidence. Moreover, the IHSG accelerated its gain after Asian stock markets and the opening of Europe's stock indices were positive.
