Investors Beware: Today Features Trump's Speech and a Flood of US Data
Wall Street stocks rose uniformly during Wednesday’s trading, or early Thursday Indonesian time. The S&P 500 index climbed 0.72% to close at 6,575.32, while the Nasdaq Composite surged 1.16% to 21,840.95. The Dow Jones Industrial Average strengthened by 224.23 points, or 0.48%, to 46,565.74.
President Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning that the Iranian president had requested a ceasefire. However, the US would consider the offer only if the Strait of Hormuz is “open, free, and safe”. He added that until then, the US would completely destroy Iran or, as they say, send it back to the Stone Age.
This statement came after Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday evening that he had signalled US military forces would leave Iran in two or three weeks.
Oil prices weakened following the comments. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 1.24% to US$100.12 per barrel, while Brent crude dropped 2.7% to US$101.16 per barrel.
“The market seems to be picking up signals that there may be a resolution in the coming weeks,” Patrick Ryan, head of investment strategy and head of multi-asset solutions at Madison Investments, told CNBC International.
Optimism over the potential end to the war reversed stock movements on Tuesday, the last trading day of March.
This movement followed unconfirmed reports that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is open to ending the war with a number of guarantees. Previously, he had stated in an X post that “the only way to end the war is by recognising Iran’s legitimate rights, paying compensation, and providing strong international guarantees against future aggression.”
Nevertheless, the market is not entirely safe. According to Ryan, without a truly clear announcement, trading is likely to remain volatile in the short term.
Indonesia’s financial markets on today’s trading will monitor a number of results and upcoming releases of economic data from domestic and international sources. This includes March 2026 inflation, Indonesia’s trade balance, domestic manufacturing conditions, and a series of US economic indicators that will provide new clues about the direction of the global economy.
Today’s trading is also the last of the week for Indonesia’s financial markets. This is because Friday, 3 April 2026, has been designated as a national holiday for Good Friday in the 2026 holiday calendar and stock exchange holiday calendar.
Thus, market participants will pay closer attention to the various data released today to position themselves before the long weekend break.
March 2026 Inflation
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that Indonesia’s inflation in March 2026 eased compared to the previous month. This period coincided with Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, which typically drive increased consumer spending.
BPS recorded monthly inflation in March 2026 at 0.41%, while annual inflation was 3.48%. This annual inflation figure is down from February 2026, which reached 4.86%.
Although it eased compared to the previous month, March 2026 inflation is still much higher than the same period last year. In March 2025, Indonesia’s annual inflation was only 1.03%.
Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at BPS, Ateng Hartono, said the development indicates that consumer prices in general are still experiencing increases.