BEI INDEX OPENS SLIGHTLY HIGHER EARLY MONDAY

Jakarta, Aug. 3 (ANTARA) - The Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) at the Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) opened slightly higher here early Monday.

The Indonesian stocks opened 20.045 points or 0.86 percent higher at 2,343.281 points, while the LQ45 gained 4.765 points or 1.05 percent at 459.180 points.

The domestic stock market was still affected by share issuers' performance in the first semester, according to Herry Kurniawan, a stock market observer of Makinta Securities.

The Indonesian bourse also got positive sentiment from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's state address introducing the financial note and the Draft 2010 State Budget before the House of Representatives (DPR) here on Monday morning.

Speaking at an extraordinary plenary session of the DPR, the head of state said the government has set a target of the economic growth at five percent in the Draft 2010 State Budget (RAPBN).

"The government could maintain the growth," the president said in his speech.

The rupiah's exchange rate which continued to move upward to Rp9,910 per US dollar, or up 10 basis points from that at the previous market's close, also prompted the BEI index to surge.

The positive sentiment also boosted 101 companies' shares to climb in the Monday morning trading session, and only 72 lost and 64 remained static.

Among shares which jumped were state tin company PT Timah shares which rose Rp100 to Rp2,200, state gas company PT Gas Negara shares that gained Rp25 to Rp3,525, PT Antam shares that added Rp125 to Rp2,325 and PT Inco shares that strengthened Rp225 to Rp4,525.

The number of transactions occurred in the early Monday trading reached 75,267 times, with the total number of shares being traded at 6.443 billion, and a total value of Rp3.985 trillion.