FX.co ★ Indonesia Stocks Eye Second Straight Weekly Gain

Indonesia’s IDX Composite climbed 38 points, or 0.6%, to 6,558 in early Friday trading, extending gains from the previous session as upbeat overnight action on Wall Street underpinned risk appetite. Investors were focused on potential signals regarding the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook ahead of Chair Kevin Warsh’s debut speech at the Jackson Hole symposium later today. Domestically, sentiment was supported by Thursday’s peaceful protest in Jakarta, which passed without major security incidents. Market participants also looked ahead to the House of Representatives’ anticipated announcement of its preferred candidate for the next Bank Indonesia governor. Upside remained capped by caution ahead of next week’s August inflation release, amid El Niño-related concerns over food prices, while July trade data are also due. Sector-wise, energy, financials, and non-cyclical stocks led the advance, with notable gains in Petrindo Jaya Kreasi (4.3%), Elang Mahkota Teknologi (2.0%), Bank Central Asia (1.2%), and Sumber Alfaria Trijaya (1.1%). On a weekly basis, the index is on track for a second consecutive gain, up roughly 0.4% so far.