BEI INDEX OPENS HIGHER ON WALL STREET GAINS

Jakarta, Jan. 26 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Composite Stock Price Index (IHSG) at the Indonesian Stock Exchange (BEI) here on Tuesday morning opened higher on Wall Street gains.

The BEI index went up 3.827 points or 0.15 percent to 2,601 points and the LQ-45 index rose 0.660 points or 0.13 percent to 508,996 points.

The Indonesian stock market was positive following gains at Wall Street, according to Krisna Dwi Setiawan, a foreign exchange analyst of PT Valbury Asia Securities.

The Wall Street gains happened because of a boost to market confidence by the reappointment of Ben Bernanke as the Federal Reserve chief.

"The market was boosted by an early report on the reappointment of Fed Chief Ben Bernanke," he said.

Dwi Setiawan was also optimistic that Indonesian stocks would further move upward and reach the level of up to 2,600 points.

Among top gainers at the BEI were Indo Tambang Mega shares that went up Rp650 to Rp30,900, Astra International shares that rose Rp400 to Rp33,800, Indosat shares that climbed Rp150 to Rp5,350, Bank Danamon shares that added Rp125 to Rp5,050, Bank BTPN shares that advanced Rp50 to Rp5,200 and BCA shares that surged Rp25 to Rp4,825.