Jakarta. The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) closed higher on Friday, gaining 55.62 points, or 0.74 percent, to end at 7,544.2, as investor sentiment improved following the easing of domestic political concerns. This upward movement marked a recovery from the previous day’s decline.

A total of 407 stocks recorded gains, while 170 stocks declined, and 212 stocks remained unchanged. The trading volume reached 20.90 billion shares, with a total transaction value of IDR 13.71 trillion across 986,144 transactions.

All stock sectors strengthened, led by the industrial sector, which rose by 1.72 percent. The financial sector gained 1.3 percent, energy 1.27 percent, non-primary consumer goods 1.09 percent, and property 0.95 percent.

Pilarmas Investindo Sekuritas attributed the rally to the easing of market concerns regarding the domestic political situation. This sentiment followed a statement from the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) announcing the cancellation of the revision to the Regional Election Law, leaving the Constitutional Court's previous decision in place.

"With a healthy democratic climate and sound governance, this will positively impact domestic economic development," Pilarmas wrote in its research note on Friday.

On Tuesday, the Constitutional Court reduced the electoral threshold to 6.5-1 percent of valid votes, allowing parties to nominate candidates without forming a coalition. However, the DPR, except for PDI-P, ruled that this decision would only apply to non-parliamentary parties, limiting the potential for more candidates in the upcoming November election. This decision has sparked nationwide protests by students, activists, and celebrities.

Protesters are also rallying against the DPR's interpretation of a law that sets a minimum age of 30 for gubernatorial, mayoral, and regency candidates, a move that could allow President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s son, Kaesang Pangarep, to run in the regional election. Critics argue that the Jokowi family is increasingly power-hungry, pointing to the recent election of Jokowi’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as vice president.

Meanwhile, Pilarmas noted that Asian stock indexes were generally weaker as market participants adopted a wait-and-see approach to investing in the equity markets. This cautious sentiment followed a 5 basis point increase in the US 10-year Treasury yield.

"Market participants view this increase as a sign of easing recession concerns in the U.S.," Pilarmas added.

Additionally, Pilarmas highlighted that investors are carefully awaiting Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium today. The market is keen to gauge the Fed's policy direction to anticipate the timing and magnitude of interest rate cuts in the U.S. later this year.

In Asian markets, most indexes also posted gains. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.4 percent, Singapore's Straits Times added 0.49 percent, and China's Shanghai Composite advanced 0.2 percent. Conversely, Hong Kong's Hang Seng declined 0.16 percent.

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