Tuesday, 15 September 2015 17:45
BANGKOK: Indonesia’s key stock index snapped a two-day rising streak on Tuesday amid a fall in the rupiah and foreign-led selling while Southeast Asian stock markets were mixed a day before the US Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates.
Bank Indonesia’s governor Agus Martowardojo said pressure on the rupiah could disturb the country’s economic stability as the currency hit a 17-year low after trade data pointed to weak growth in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
The Jakarta composite index shed nearly 1 percent after two straight days of gain to a more than one-week closing high on Monday.
Foreign investors turned net sellers, offloading a net 253 billion rupiah ($ 17.56 million) after their net purchase of 101 billion rupiah ($ 7.01 million) on Monday, the first in ten trading days, Thomson Reuters data showed.
Stocks in Singapore fell for a third day and Thai stocks posted their fourth successive loss in line with Asian shares amid caution ahead of the Fed’s rate decision.
The main Philippine index posted a modest 0.3 percent gain to a near two-week closing high, while Vietnam’s key index ended a tad 0.2 percent higher.
The Malaysian index notched up a 0.5 percent gain after the government’s stock market stimulus sent the index up more than 2 percent on Monday. Malaysia’s stock market will be closed on Wednesday for a holiday.
