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Fitri Wulandari

About

I am a Jakarta-based journalist with over 20 years of experience in the industry, specializing in financial and business news. With a proven track record of delivering insightful and timely stories, I bring a deep understanding of the ever-evolving economic landscape. My expertise spans across a broad range of topics, from corporate strategies and market trends to global financial systems, making me a versatile writer capable of tackling complex subjects with clarity and precision.

My Latest Work

Jazz Legend Indra Lesmana’s Sydney Reunion Revives Cultural Collaboration Through Music

25 October 2024

While New Orleans is celebrated as the birthplace of jazz, for Indonesian jazz icon Indra Lesmana, Sydney was the muse that profoundly shaped his music career during his formative years.

The jazz prodigy enrolled at the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music in Sydney in 1979 when he was just 13 years old. During his five years of study there, he honed his jazz artistry under the guidan...
Capital.com •

Oil Price Forecast | Is Oil a Good Investment? | WTI and Brent Oil Price

Oil prices advanced in the first two weeks of 2023, rising by 11% to 18 January, yet continuing hovering around the levels seen before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Conflicting supply-and-demand factors have increased uncertainty in oil price forecasts. Fears of a recession have intensified in both the US and Europe, which could hurt oil demand.

The actions of the world’s central banks, which have repeatedly hiked interest rates to fight surging inflation, along with an economic slo
Capital.com •

Bayer Activist Investor | What You Need To Know

Since its contentious acquisition of US agricultural biotech company Monsanto in June 2018, Bayer AG’s (BAYN) stock price has never rebounded.

The company has been busy settling more than 100,000 lawsuits related to Roundup, Monsanto’s weed killer.

In recent Bayer news, activist investor Jeff Ubenn purchased a 0.83% stake in the German company that invented the painkiller aspirin. Will activist investors in Bayer turn its share price trend around?

About Bayer – from Aspirin to seeds and weed
Capital.com •

Commodities Forecast | Are Commodities a Good Investment?

Throughout 2022, the market was observed as a roller-coaster ride. Russia's attack on Ukraine caused most commodities to peak in the first three months of 2022.

However, for much of the rest of the year, synchronised interest rate hikes by central banks to deal with inflation and a slowing Chinese economy caused by the Covid-19 zero policy to combat new cases put downward pressure on commodity prices.

In this article, we look at factors that could shape the market trends in 2023 and some of th
Capital.com •

Iron Ore Price Forecast | Is Iron Ore a Good Investment?

Iron ore prices have risen to their highest level since July 2022, despite a sluggish global economy.

China, the world’s largest importer of steel-making iron ore, has stepped up measures to prop up its property sector, reviving sentiment that it would recover the country’s demand for industrial metals. The removal of the country’s three-year Covid-19 restrictions further bolstered the optimism.

As of 6 January 2023, iron ore futures on the Singapore Exchange have gained 24.5% in the past thre
Capital.com •

Natural Gas Price Forecast 2030-2050 | Will Natural Gas Prices Go Up?

Despite Russian gas supply restrictions, Europe has so far avoided gas shortages this winter. Milder weather – apart from December’s cold snap – energy-saving campaigns, and robust liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports kept the region’s reserves from depleting.

The natural gas price in Europe has fallen to the level before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine due to softening demand and ample supply. Natural gas prices in the US and Asia have also followed a downward trajectory.

While Europe’s natural g
Capital.com •

Sri Lanka Inflation Rate | What Is The Current Inflation Rate In Sri Lanka?

According to the most recent data, Sri Lanka's inflation rate eased slightly at the end of 2022.

Based on official figures, headline inflation in the debt-ridden South Asian country was 65% in November, compared to a peak of 73.7% in September 2022. The widely watched Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI) also fell to 57.2% year-on-year (YoY) in December from 69.8% in September.

While the easing inflation rate may provide some relief, it raises concerns about whether the downtrend will continue.
Capital.com •

Ghana Inflation Rate | What Is The Current Inflation Rate In Ghana

Ghana’s inflation rate has shown no signs of abating, advancing for 17 consecutive months to 40.4% in October 2022.

The skyrocketing inflation has amplified several domestic and international economic headwinds for the Ghanaian government. These range from high debts to the plummeting value of the Ghanaian cedi (GHS) to aggressive rate hikes abroad and falling cocoa prices, one of the country's major exports.

Protests have erupted across the country, calling on President Nana Akufo-Addo to res
Capital.com •

What Is Stalking Horse Bidder? | Definition and Meaning

A stalking horse bidder is an initial bidder or purchaser on the sale of a distressed or bankrupt company's assets. The initial bidder negotiates a purchase agreement with the debtor, conducts due diligence on the assets, and sets the terms of the transaction.

In short, in the sale of distressed assets, stalking horse bidder is explained as the first bidder who lays the groundwork for subsequent bidders.

The stalking horse bidder will determine the purchase price floor for other interested par

Featured Articles

Capital.com

Fitri Wulandari

Fitri started her journalism career as business reporter for the English-language daily The Jakarta Post in 2001, focusing on the macro economy and energy. She began covering commodities when she joined Dow Jones Newswires in 2004. Since then, Fitri has reported on the oil and gas industries, coal, agriculture, electricity and renewable energy for global news organisations, including Reuters and Bloomberg.

Fitri joined Capital.com in 2021 covering all-things financial markets, including stocks,
Capital.com •

Projected Interest Rates In 5 Years In the UK | Will BoE Reverse Rate Hike Policy?

The Bank of England (BoE) raised UK interest rates by half a percentage point at its December meeting, and warned that further monetary policy tightening was likely. In a vote showing a majority on the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee for “forceful” action against high inflation, six of the nine MPC members supported the 0.5 percentage point rate increase, and one favoured a larger 0.75 percentage point rise.

It was the ninth hike this year, bringing the bank rate to 3.5%, up from 0.5%
Capital.com •

Kenya Interest Rate Forecast For Next 5 Years

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) hiked its policy rate to 8.75% on 23 November to tame inflation that has accelerated for eight consecutive months. It is the highest policy rate since November 2019 when it stood at 8.50%.

While global energy and commodity prices have retreated from multi-year highs, the east-African country is struggling to contain inflation brought by a decision to remove fuel subsidies and the most severe drought in four decades.

The new Kenyan government under President Will
Capital.com •

Moderna Insider Stock Sale | What You Need to Know About MRNA

Shares of US biotechnology company Moderna (MRNA) has rebounded from its 2022 low after upbeat clinical trial results of its Covid-19 booster vaccine candidates.

Despite the promising vaccine trial results, insiders have been selling Moderna’s stocks amid uncertain business outlook as the Covid-19 pandemic is shifting to endemic status. We take a closer look at the Moderna insider stock sale.

Moderna (MRNA) is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company that focus

How To Invest in Indonesia Stock Market

The Indonesia stock market is among few markets in Asia that have been defying the global market decline. The IDX Composite Index has outperformed its peers, including the Asian financial market bellwether Japan’s Nikkei 225 (Japan225), amid tightening cycle by central banks and looming recession.

The stock market has seen some of the biggest initial public offerings (IPO) in IDX’s history in 2022, including from decacorn and unicorn technology start-up companies.

As the country expects to see

Singapore Interest Rate Forecast For Next 5 Years

Singapore has been among a handful of countries to ha e withstood the headwinds from a slowing global economy due to tightening monetary policy, rising inflation and a strengthening US dollar (USD).

However, as the inflation rate stubbornly remains at a 14-year high, the island nation in Southeast Asia has stepped up its monetary policy. Let’s take a look at the projected Singapore interest rate in 5 years.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is Singapore’s central bank, established in J
Capital.com •

Netherlands Housing Market Crash | Everything You Need to Know

Buying an affordable home in the Netherlands has become tougher since 2021, with monthly price increases peaking at 21% in January 2022 year-on-year (YoY). However, the pace of house price rises started to slow since July this year, although it is still in the double digits.

The Netherlands’ deteriorating economic outlook, soaring interest rates and high energy prices have started to dent demand in the country’s real estate market.

As the Dutch economy is set to slow next year and inflation is
Capital.com •

Coffee Futures Price | What Are Coffee Futures?

Arabica coffee futures prices have continued to retreat to levels not seen in one year as a stronger US dollar and expectations of an improved harvest from Brazil, the world’s biggest coffee producer, weighed on the commodity’s price.

On the other hand, coffee inventories have continued to decrease, indicating tightness in supply.

Will the falling inventories stop coffee futures prices from dropping further?

What are coffee futures? Let’s take a closer look at the commodities in question and
Capital.com •

Uranium Futures Price Forecast | Are Uranium Futures a Good Investment?

After dropping from a peak of nearly $65 a pound in April to below $50, the price of uranium futures has been rebounding in recent weeks as nuclear power plants are back in the spotlight.

The worsening energy crisis in Europe and eye-watering fossil fuel prices have forced many countries to seek alternative energy sources.

Will rising demand for alternative fuels help the uranium futures price to keep its recovery momentum?

Unlike other commodities such as gold, nickel, and copper, uranium is

Aston Martin Share Price Forecast | Is Aston Martin a Good Stock to Buy?

James Bond may prefer the luxurious and opulent cars made by British carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda (AML), but investors have not been fans of the company's share price performance.

Mounting debt, a controversial rights issue plan and a recent lawsuit have overshadowed the company’s still strong sales and financial performance. As of 15 September, Aston Martin’s share price has fallen more than 80% year-to-date.

Amid the headwinds, will the British marque be able to rebound? We dive into the co
Capital.com •

Top Healthcare Stocks: Is Healthcare Ultimate Defensive Play?

Healthcare sector stocks have been resilient during market downturns.

Shares in major pharmaceutical companies and healthcare-related services have outperformed slumping US stock markets battered by tight monetary policy and recession risks.

As of 27 June, the S&P 500 Healthcare index has enjoyed a one-year return of 3.17% and annualised three-year return of 12.28%, outperforming the broader S&P 500 index (US500), which has lost 8.89% in a year and delivered a 10.07% annualised three-year retu
Capital.com •

Southeast Asia faces challenges to meet net zero emissions

While more Southeast Asian countries are pledging decarbonisation policies after the recent UN Climate Conference the region will face challenges in reaching the goal even by 2060.

Asia is responsible for roughly half of the global carbon emissions and a reliance on coal for generating electricity, particularly in Southeast Asia, means it needs huge investment to get on the path to net-zero.

According to Bank of America (BofA), Asia experienced just 4% growth in transition to renewable energy
Capital.com •

Digital asset market expands to include Islamic cryptos

From its headquarters in Frankfurt, technology firm Caizcoin aims to embrace the concept of digital assets on what it terms as the “basis of goodness and faithfulness”, with the world’s first Islamic cryptocurrency.

The name Caiz was chosen for its similarity to the Arabic word Jaiz, which is a synonym for acceptable or sanctioned.

The German firm is not the only outfit looking to bring the halal – something which is permissible by Islam – concept into the cryptocurrency world.

Three months a

Fintech not BTC the solution to low-cost remittance

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele emphasised the role that bitcoin could play in slashing remittance costs for the country’s roughly 2.5 million diaspora when the country became the first state globally to make the digital currency legal tender in early September.

There are valid questions over whether bitcoin’s volatility, which has seen its price range in 2021 from $30,000 to an all-time high of over $68,000 just this week, makes it a suitable vehicle for remittance but another live issue

Bloomberg

Bloomberg.com •

Indonesia Refinery Restart Shows Long Road From 1998 Asia Crisis

Just as rating companies see rising risks for defaults in Asia, one Indonesian refiner may finally be emerging from the shadow of 1998’s currency collapse.

PT Trans-Pacific Petrochemical Indotama, a project that stalled during the Asian crisis, resumed operations last quarter and is now running at about 70 percent of its capacity to produce gasoline, said President Director K. Denni Wisnuwardani. The earnings are being used to pay operating expenses but not creditors, as a 2014 restructuring of
Bloomberg.com •

Hong Kong Murders: A Kiss on the Cheek and She Was Gone

On the last night of her life, Seneng Mujiasih stopped by the Queen Victoria Bar in the heart of Hong Kong’s red-light district. Dressed in a leopard-skin jumpsuit, she was on her way to a Halloween party at her favorite haunt, a bar two doors down. Six hours later, police found her with her neck slashed in an upscale apartment two blocks away.

“She gave me two kisses on the cheek as always,” said Robert van den Bosch, a 47-year-old Dutchman who works as a disc jockey in the Wan Chai bar distri
Bloomberg.com •

Draining Indonesia Oil Fields Raise Import Need: Southeast Asia

Magenta-colored bars creep up on a monitor screen at the control room of Senipah-Peciko-South Mahakam oil terminal in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province, indicating three storage tanks are being filled.

“It takes more than 60 days now to fill a 500,000 barrel tank with crude from Bekapai field,” said Kristanto Hartadi, a spokesman at Total E&P Indonesie, a unit of the French oil major Total SA that operates the facility. “That compares with about 10 days when it was at full production.”

Reuters

U.S. •

Q+A-Indonesia mining sector faces election risks

JAKARTA, July 7 (Reuters) - Indonesia has struggled to lure foreign investment to its mining sector in recent years, and the nationalist line on resource exploitation taken by politicians ahead of Wednesday’s presidential election has hardly helped.

The mining industry is also awaiting details of regulations in a new mining law passed last year which was aimed at squeezing more from the country’s rich mineral resources.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is widely expected to be returned
U.S. •

Indonesia's tin islands: blessed or cursed?

PANGKALPINANG, Indonesia (Reuters) - Tin mining on these sleepy islands off Sumatra has brought wealth, but at a price; it is literally eating away at the land.

The scale of the environmental damage on the Bangka-Belitung islands can be most clearly seen from the air, revealing a lunar landscape of craters and hundreds of highly acidic, turquoise lakes created by centuries of largely unregulated tin mining.

Efforts in recent years to control illegal mining on the islands have reverberated thou
U.S. •

Wine popular on more palates in Muslim Indonesia

JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) - What’s the best wine for Indonesian chicken satay with sweet peanut sauce? Or a traditional suckling goat barbequed slowly over soy sauce?

Indonesians are finding out the answers to these questions and more as they sip and swirl at the many wine classes and wine tasting events that have mushroomed in Jakarta, capital of the world’s most populous Muslim nation.

Jakarta’s wine classes -- mostly attended by young, urban professionals -- teach people everything from the i
U.S. •

Indonesia's iconic coffee shops brewing decades on

JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) - In a world where coffee has become another chainstore commodity, small home-grown roasters in Indonesia seem to have the right brew to stay in business for decades: personal service and fresh, quality beans.

A strong coffee history, and expanding middle and upper classes, have made Indonesia, the world’s fourth largest coffee producer, the next frontier for foreign chains such as Starbucks.

But Syenny Widjaja, owner of one of the country’s oldest roasters, the Jakarta
U.S. •

Indonesian tempeh makers struggle as soybean prices rise

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia’s traditional soybean cake, known as tempeh, is a source of livelihood for millions of people, many of whom are now struggling to cope with spiraling soybean prices.

The price of imported soybeans has more than doubled to 7,600 rupiah a kg from a year ago, driven by concerns about dwindling U.S. stockpiles and fears that dry weather could reduce soybean output in Argentina, the world’s third-biggest soy producer.

In a bid to contain surging food prices, the Indone
U.S. •

Palm oil not a field of dreams for all Indonesians

LANGKAT, Indonesia (Reuters) - Palm oil prices might be going through the roof and making investors and businessmen rich, but the soaring prices have not improved the lot of pickers and locals working on the fringes of the palm oil industry.

On the island of Sumatra, one of the main palm oil-growing islands in Indonesia, the world’s second-largest producer after Malaysia, 52-year-old Minah salvages unspoilt fruit from partly rotten palm branch that have fallen to the ground.

The Indonesian mot
U.S. •

FEATURE-Biofuel demand takes toll on Indonesian cuisine

JAKARTA, July 18 (Reuters) - Record-high palm oil prices due to voracious global demand for the oil used for food and now increasingly as a biofuel have left many ordinary Indonesians without their usual culinary fare.

Palm oil-derived cooking oil is a staple in the Indonesian pantry. It is used to fry many of the spicy dishes that are part of the local cuisine.

But the high price of oil has forced millions of poor Indonesians to eat their food boiled instead of fried.

"I only have fried temp

Voice of America

Voice of America •

The Worth of a Girl: ‘My parents thought this man would take care of me’

Attending school in her West Java village made Rasminah happy. But when she was 13, her mother said the family could no longer afford tuition or even basic necessities for their oldest daughter and had found her a husband.

“I didn’t protest because I felt sorry for my parents,” says Rasminah, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. “My parents thought this man would take care of me.”

After two years of marriage, on their daughter’s first birthday, he left.

Rasminah’s mother found her a
VOA Indonesia •

Rumput Laut dan Singkong, Senjata David Christian Perangi Limbah Plastik

Ketika David Christian mengutarakan niatnya membuat gelas yang bisa dimakan untuk mengurangi sampah plastik, ide pendiri dan CEO Evo & Co itu ditanggapi skeptis oleh kedua orang tuanya dan kerabat.

“Reaksi mereka ‘Siapa yang mau makan gelas?’, ‘oh orang Indonesia gak peduli dengan seperti itu, atau ‘harganya nanti bagaimana?,” tutur David mengisahkan awal mula bisnisnya.

Namun, pria berusia 27 tahun itu mampu menepis keraguan orang tua dan para kerabatnya. Tentunya juga mewujudkan idenya membu
VOA Indonesia •

Deteksi Dini Virus Corona Bisa Tekan Tingkat Kematian di Indonesia

Dr. dr. Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono, Ketua Departemen Epidemiologi, Fakultas Kesehatan Masyarakat (FKM) Universitas Indonesia mengatakan tingkat kematian akibat virus corona baru (COVID-19) di Indonesia bisa lebih rendah dari level saat ini, yang mencapai di atas 8 persen, apabila deteksi dini di lapangan berjalan baik.

Miko mengatakan dengan kondisi tingkat keparahan (severity) penyakit yang relatif sama dengan di negara-negara lain yang terjangkit COVID-19, tingkat kematian di Indonesia seharusnya
VOA Indonesia •

Minim Fasilitas, Penderita Kanker Anak Makin ‘Sakit’ (Bagian 2)

Berbeda dengan kanker pada orang dewasa yang bisa dicegah dengan deteksi dini, – misalnya mamografi untuk kanker payudara atau pap smear untuk kanker serviks – kanker pada anak sebaliknya. Kanker pada anak, karena jenisnya berbeda, sulit untuk dilakukan screening atau pemeriksaan.

Selain itu, penyebab kanker pada anak belum diketahui dan tidak bisa dicegah, papar Dr. Endang Windiastuti SpA(K), anggota Komite Penanggulangan Kanker Nasional (KPKN).

“Jadi kalau (kanker) pada anak itu selnya berbe
VOA Indonesia •

Minim Fasilitas, Penderita Kanker Anak Makin ‘Sakit' (Bagian 1)

Kepala Fujiama terkulai di lengan Nurjannah Husein, pemilik rumah singgah Yayasan Rumah Kita di Banda Aceh. Napas remaja berusia 16 tahun itu tersengal-sengal. Nurjannah memandu Fuji - demikian dia kerap disapa - yang dengan susah payah melantunkan ayat demi ayat Al Fatihah. Suaranya yang kian lirih terhenti tepat ketika Nurjannah mendekap Fuji lebih erat. Dia tersadar bahwa remaja penderita leukemia itu telah berpulang.

Semasa hidupnya, tidak mudah bagi Fujiama menjangkau layanan kesehatan unt
VOA Indonesia •

Sanlat Milenial Islami: Ajak Milenial Mengenal Kedamaian Islam

“Apa perbedaan cara ibadah antara Kristen Protestan dan Katolik?. Apa tugas anak-anak romo (putra altar, red)?. Apakah masalah kalau umat Katolik tidak mengerjakan ibadah di gereja?. Satu lagi, ada hari-hari khusus, misalnya Jumat Agung, itu untuk apa?.”

Rentetan pertanyaan tersebut terlontar dari Jumidah, 15 tahun, kepada Christian Pele, 46 tahun, petugas seksi liturgi dari Gereja Katolik Salib Suci di kawasan Cilincing, Jakarta Utara.

Christian tergelak. “Wah, pertanyaannya banyak sekali ya,
VOA Indonesia •

Menjaring Untung Barang Bekas Berkelas

Banyak pria pusing tujuh keliling manakala istrinya menjadi pehobi belanja. Apalagi jika barang yang dibeli adalah barang mewah seperti tas Chanel, Hermès atau Louis Vuitton yang harganya tak jarang membelalakan mata.

Namun, Rina Reynold, 40 tahun, justru mendapatkan dukungan dari sang suami untuk memuaskan hobi belanja barang-barang bermerek itu. Alasannya pasti tidak terbatas barang itu untuk menunjang hobi bergaya atau sekadar retail therapy. Rina dengan mahir mendulang cuan dari hobinya itu

Australia Awards

Australia Awards •

Dr Alue Dohong drives Indonesia’s green capital

What will Indonesia’s future capital look like? Vice Minister of Environment and Forestry Dr Alue Dohong has offered a sneak-peak at plans for the country’s newest city.

“The government’s mission for the new capital is ‘Forest City, Sustainable City’. We want to restore the forests in Kalimantan. It will be the signature of the new capital city,” said Dr Dohong, the winner of 2021 Alumni of the Year Award.... Read More

Indonesia Clean Energy Development (ICED) II