BEI INDEX OPENS SLIGHTLY HIGHER

Jakarta, Oct. 9 (ANTARA) - The Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) at the Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) here on Friday morning opened slightly higher on Wall Street gains.

The BEI surged 1.339 points or 0.05 percent to 2,485.857 and the LQ 45 index went up 0.345 points or 0.007 percent to 488.622.

Investors had earlier wanted to release their shares to take profit, but they instead bought some shares in small amounts following rallies in Wall Street, Edwin Sinaga, a domestic capital market observer, said here on Friday.

The slight increase caused the BEI index to remain below the level of 2,500 points, although earlier the BEI index had touched the level of nearly 2,600 points for a while, he said.

"We are optimistic that the BEI index will again approach the level of 2,600 points, as positive sentiment is again dominating the market," he said.

Cigarette company Gudang Garam shares for instance surged Rp300 to Rp14,000, another cigarette company HM Sampoerna shares gained Rp150 to Rp10,500, and Astra Agro Lestari shares advanced Rp50 to Rp21,200, and United Tractor shares added Rp50 to Rp15,400.

Private bank BCA and Danamon respectively also gained Rp50.