Trade Balance Surplus Boosts JCI Strengthening, Foreigners Boost BRI Shares

Indonesia Stock Exchange Building. (Angga Nugraha / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) closed higher on trading Tuesday, August 18. JCI closed up 0.91 percent or 47.48 points to 5,295.17.

Closing the trade, 237 stocks rose, 188 stocks fell, and 148 stocks remained unchanged. The trading volume was recorded at 11.87 billion shares and transacted at Rp10.21 trillion.

"The market also appreciates the performance of Indonesia's trade balance per July, which increased a surplus to 3.26 billion US dollars from a surplus of 1.25 billion US dollars in the previous month's release," said Binaartha Sekuritas analyst M. Nafan Aji Gusta Utama to VOI.

Until this afternoon's closing, many foreign investors were hunting for shares of PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk (BBRI) and pharmaceutical issuer PT Medikaloka Hermina (HEAL).

BBRI shares were recorded to have purchased 264.79 million shares with a value of Rp255.93 billion. Meanwhile, HEAL, the owner of the Hermina Hospital, bought 88.15 million shares by foreign investors for Rp254.73 billion.