Similar to yesterday, Indonesian stocks and the rupiah are still moving cautiously on Thursday (30/07). Supported by yesterday’s rising US stocks and today’s mostly rising stocks in the Asia-Pacific region, the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index climbed 0.22 percent in the first trading session on Thursday. However, the latest statements from the US Federal Reserve also signal that a US interest rate hike is coming closer, hence giving rise to a stronger US dollar at the expense of most global currencies and the gold price.

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Immediately after trading opened on Tuesday morning - and in line with the performance of most other Asian stock indices - Indonesian stocks extended their losses. By 10:53 am local Jakarta time, the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index had fallen 1.07 percent to 4,720.33 points, its lowest level since April 2014. The primary reason why markets have tumbled across the globe is the severe drop in the Chinese market. Yesterday, China’s Shanghai Composite Index tumbled a staggering 8.48 percent.

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Indonesian stocks and the rupiah continued to weaken on the first trading day of the week, especially due to negative global market sentiments. China’s Shanghai Composite Index tumbled a staggering 8.48 percent on Monday (27/07), its worst daily percentage fall since February 2007. Furthermore, Wall Street closed broadly lower on Friday (24/07) for the fourth straight day. Meanwhile, the Indonesian rupiah continued to depreciate against the US dollar, making Indonesian assets unattractive to foreign investors.

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Indonesia’s decision to raise import tariffs for food, cars, clothes as well as various other consumer goods put additional downward pressure on Indonesian stocks on the last trading day of the week (24/07). Those listed companies (retailers) that rely on imported goods saw their shares tumble as a consequence of the higher import tariffs. The Indonesian Finance Ministry raised import duties for consumer goods between 10 and 150 percent (depending on product) in a bid to boost the country’s consumer goods industry and curtail imports.

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It is expected to be another difficult day for Indonesian stocks and the rupiah as there are few to none positive market sentiments that can support these assets on today’s trading day. Wall Street closed lower on Thursday (23/07) for the third consecutive day on disappointing financial results of several big companies, dragging down indices in the East. Commodity indices continue to fall (oil returning to bear market on resilient US output and rising OPEC supply). Meanwhile, sharp rupiah depreciation makes investors nervous.

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Again, Indonesia’s rupiah is touching the IDR 13,400 per US dollar psychological boundary. According to the Bloomberg Dollar Index, Indonesia’s currency had depreciated 0.22 percent to IDR 13,405 per US dollar at 11:22 am local Jakarta time on Thursday (23/07), a level last seen when the country was still plagued by the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998. Crossing the psychological boundary could mean Indonesia’s central bank (Bank Indonesia) will intervene again to support the currency in order to safeguard people’s confidence in the currency.

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Stock trading at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) restarted on Wednesday (22/07) after the four-day Idul Fitri holiday ended. Shortly after opening on Wednesday, Indonesia’s benchmark Jakarta Composite Index (IHSG) rose 0.50 percent on investors’ optimism about the recent good performance of global stock markets after debt-ridden Greece reached an agreement with its international creditors while turmoil in Chinese stocks faded. Not long after opening, however, Indonesian shares were dragged down by other Asian indices.

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According to the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the Indonesian rupiah continued to depreciate on Monday (20/07). Indonesia’s currency weakened 0.31 percent to IDR 13,395 per US dollar, its weakest level since 1998 when the country was plagued by the Asian Financial Crisis. Meanwhile, Bank Indonesia’s activities are still limited until Wednesday (22/07) due to a public holiday (Idul Fitri celebrations), implying that the central bank temporarily doesn't publish its Jakarta Interbank Spot Dollar Rate (abbreviated: JISDOR).

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As expected Indonesia's central bank (Bank Indonesia) refrained from adjusting its interest rate regime at Tuesday’s Board of Governor’s meeting (14/07). The key BI rate was kept at 7.50 percent, while the overnight deposit rate (Fasbi) and lending facility rate were left at 5.50 percent and 8.00 percent, respectively. Bank Indonesia believes that the current interest rate environment is in line with its efforts to bring down inflation while supporting Indonesia’s ailing rupiah ahead of expected further monetary tightening in the USA later this year.

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Indonesian stocks and the rupiah weakened further on Wednesday (08/07) due to the continuing fall of Chinese stocks (raising concerns about global economic growth) and the downward revision of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s economic growth forecasts for Indonesia in 2015. Furthermore, global uncertainty brought about by the looming Greek exit (Grexit) from the euro continues to plague markets worldwide and makes investors prefer to wait for more certain times.

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On Monday (14/04), the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate depreciated 0.23 percent to IDR 11,440 per US dollar according to the Bloomberg Dollar Index. This performance was in line with most other emerging Asian currencies, which weakened against the US dollar due to broad strength in the greenback as well as risk aversion. The rupiah - still the best performing emerging Asian currency so far this year - depreciated on dollar demand from local importers (while state-run banks were reported to engage in rupiah buying).

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The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate extends its depreciation on Friday (11/04) after market participants showed their concern about Indonesia's legislative election result on Wednesday (09/04). As the election did not result in a clear victory for the PDI-P (the main opposition party which intends to nominate popular Jakarta Governor Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo as presidential candidate), the fragmented outcome is expected to lead to continued political uncertainty ahead of Indonesia's presidential election on 9 July 2014.

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Previously we advised investors to be careful because various economic data that was to be released - both international and domestic - could reveal negative results and thus put great pressure on the benchmark stock index of Indonesia (IHSG or Jakarta Composite Index) on Tuesday (01/04). However, the data, particularly domestic data, were positive and made the IHSG jump 2.22 percent one day after the holiday on Monday (Nyepi or Hindu New Year). Investors used this context to purchase stocks, especially Indonesia's big cap stocks.

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By the end of Friday's trading day (28/03), the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate appreciated 0.75 percent to IDR 11,361 per US dollar based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index. At the end of March 2014, the rupiah is still the best-performing Asian currency this year, outperforming 24 emerging-market currencies that are tracked by Bloomberg. Since 31 December 2013, the rupiah appreciated nearly seven percent against the US dollar as an easing current account deficit and slowing inflation triggered capital inflows into Southeast Asia's largest economy.

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During most of the day, Indonesia's benchmark stock index (the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) moved in the green zone, seemingly unaffected by falling indices on Wall Street on Wednesday (26/03). However, just before the trading day closed  market participants engaged in profit taking causing the 0.11 percent decline of the IHSG to 4,723.06 points. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact reason for this occurrence. Perhaps because Asian indices turned mixed after China's benchmark index fell as China's latest industrial profit growth data were weak.

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The Indonesian rupiah exchange rate depreciated 0.31 percent to IDR 11,447 per US dollar on Thursday (27/03) based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index. The currency's strong performance in February and the first half of March, supported by Indonesia's easing current account deficit and inflation, has met resistance due to global concern about the aggressive US Federal Reserve monetary tightening (winding down its quantitative easing program by another chunk of USD $10 billion as well as possible US interest rate hikes in 2015 and 2016).

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On Wednesday (26/03), most emerging Asian currencies appreciated against the US dollar as the region's shares hit a two-week high on upbeat US economic data in combination with reduced concern over the crisis in Crimea (Ukraine). However, the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate was one of the exceptions to this trend on today's trading day. Based on the Bloomberg Dollar Index, the rupiah had depreciated 0.16 percent to IDR 11,412 at 16:15 local Jakarta time. Meanwhile, the Chinese yuan recovered some of its earlier losses.

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Despite technical indicators suggesting further upward movement of Indonesia's benchmark stock index (known as the Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG), a positive performance of the index was blocked by external factors. Several Asian stock indices were down responding to Markit's lower US manufacturing PMI (slipping to 55.5 from 57.1 in February 2014). Similarly, China and the Eurozone's manufacturing data showed slowing growth. Continued appreciation of the rupiah exchange rate managed to limit the decline of the IHSG.

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At the start of the new week, Indonesia's benchmark stock index (Jakarta Composite Index or IHSG) was able to continue to climb, supported by positive Asian indices. Today, investors took advantage of discounted stocks in Asia as markets had fallen after the Federal Reserve's announcement last week that the quantitative easing program would be wound down further as well as a possible US interest rate hike in 2015 and 2016. However, the IHSG was also vulnerable to profit taking. Therefore, today's gain was limited.

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The US Federal Reserve's plan to increase interest rates is a serious threat to the stock and bonds markets of emerging markets, including Indonesia, in 2014. The higher Fed Fund rate will result in a high cost bonds-climate in Indonesia. The Federal Reserve announced on Wednesday (19/03) that it continues to cut its quantitative easing program (QE3) by USD $10 billion in March 2014 as well as aims for an interest rate hike six months after the 'tapering' has ended. With the current pace, QE3 is expected to end in December 2014.

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