Jakarta shares slightly firmer

Indonesian shares ended 0.53 percent higher on Thursday despite falls on Wall Street overnight and weakness in other Asian markets, dealers said. The Jakarta Composite Index gained 10.03 points to 1,902.87 in moderate volume. "Foreign buying in consumer-related stocks drove the main index to hit a fresh record closing high for this year," a trader told Dow Jones Newswires.
Dealers said a positive close in Tokyo was enough to spur buying in the local market even as others around the region fell. Foreigners were net buyers of 73 billion rupiah (7.08 million dollars) worth of shares. Cigarette maker Gudang Garam jumped 11 percent to 11,500 rupiah, while car distributor Astra gained 4.8 percent to 21,750. Coal miner Bumi Resources rose 1.1 percent to 1,930.