BEI INDEX OPENS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER EARLY TUESDAY

Jakarta, May 19 (ANTARA) - The Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) at the Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) opened significantly higher here early Tuesday as a number of blue chip and small-cap shares were better off following Wall Street gains.

The BEI index jumped 33.247 points or 1.84 percent to 1,836.815 and the LQ-45 index gained 8.30 points or 2.37 percent, to 358.492 points.

Investors actively hunted blue chip and small-cap shares following rebounds at regional bourses which were positively affected by Wall Street gains after they had depreciated a few days earlier, Ahmad Riyadi, a stock broker of Milenium Danatama Securities, said here on Tuesday.

The Wall Street bourse moved upward after a number of issuers gained better earnings, he said.

The better market conditions enabled the BEI index to strengthen to nearly 1,900 points, he said.

The share purchases were getting stronger and boosted prices of traded shares to sharply increase, he said.

Investors were expected to continue their purchases of shares as the national economic growth helped bolster the stock market, he said.

Astra Agro Lestari shares gained Rp900 to Rp19,000, Astra International shares rose Rp800 to Rp18,900, Indah Tiara Mega (ITMG) property company's shares jumped Rp450 to Rp17,500, Telkom shares went up Rp150, and Indosat shares surged Rp100.