Market rout
Asian stock markets fell significantly this morning to respond 17% hike of crude oil to US4108 per barrel. Escalating tensions in the Middle East led to nearly 6% fall of Nikkei 225 in Tokyo and 6.6% drop of KOSPI composite index in Seoul Monday morning, while All Ordinaries down almost 4% in Sydney.
Siaga 1 and politics of geopolitical anxiety
The Military’s decision to raise its readiness status to Siaga 1, the highest operational alert, was officially framed as a precautionary measure in response to escalating tensions in the Middle East. Yet such decisions are rarely purely technical. In Indonesia’s political context, military readiness often reflects deeper concerns about domestic stability as much as external threats.
Another education super-app: innovation or repeating the digitalization trap?
The Ministry of Education’s new “Super Rumah Pendidikan” application is being promoted as a unified ecosystem to improve digital literacy, especially for students in remote and underdeveloped regions. Officials describe it as a “super-app” that integrates hundreds of educational services into a single platform, promising easier access to learning materials, teacher training and student resources.
The rise of Mova and gray-zone digital economy
Digital economy is often defined by unicorns and venture capital. Names like Gojek, Tokopedia and Traveloka dominate the narrative of innovation, backed by billions of dollars from global investors. Yet a new generation of platforms is emerging outside this familiar ecosystem. One of the most notable examples is Mova, a cashback and affiliate platform that recently reported around 350,000 monthly users and announced plans to expand into other ASEAN markets.
Bracing for more pressures (3)
Brent crude oil surged 17% to US$108 per barrel in Asian trading this morning due to escalated conflicts in the Middle East. Naphtha, key raw material for olefin centers operated by Chandra Asri (TPIA), will likely follow after 43% jump year-to-date.
Barito Renewables vs Pertamina Geothermal
Composite index of Indonesia Stock Exchange (IHSG) should have dropped deeper than 1.62% last Friday (Mar 6) if Barito Renewables (BREN) didn’t gain 5.8%. Sister company Chandra Asri (TPIA), which declared force majeure related to the Middle East conflicts, even surged by 17.7% that day.
Petrosea vs Adaro
Shares of coal mining contractor Petrosea (PTRO) ended substantially lower by 5.1% to Rp4,960 on Friday (Mar 6), while coal miner Adaro Andalan Indonesia (AADI), second largest behind Bumi Resources (BUMI) in terms of sales volume, slipped 0.24%.
Outliers of 2025 (3): Watsons
Retailers were mostly under pressures last year due to weakening purchasing power in the middle class. Some opted to close down outlets and reduce workforce. PT Duta Intidaya Tbk (DAYA), operator of Watsons outlets, however, was among the exceptions.
Subdued performance of Cinema XXI
PT Nusantara Sejahtera Raya Tbk (CNMA), operator of Cinema XXI—-market leader, was one major companies quietly reduced workforce last year as sales inched up only 2.6%, while operating profit slipped 0.5%.
AI geopolitics: The rivalry shaping the future of technology
Artificial intelligence is no longer merely a technological competition among Silicon Valley companies. It has evolved into a geopolitical arena where economic power, national security and digital influence intersect. At the center of this emerging contest stand three American technology players: OpenAI, Anthropic and Google.