Rupiah Gains Against US Dollar

Jakarta (Antara) - The rupiah value in inter-bank transaction closed stronger against the US dollar in the closing trade on Friday. The currency traded at the level of 11,417 per dollar from 11,439 per dollar earlier. "Potential growth of the country's economy is still one of the factors pushing the domestic currency to a positive areas," chief researcher of Monex Investindo Futures Ariston Tjendra said. Rupiah rise, however, would tend to be restricted by the Fed's decision to raise its benchmark interest rate, he said. "A number of US economic data tended to improve that some investors are optimistic about the process of US economic recovery resulting in dollar strengthening," he added. Increase in US interest rate would strengthen the US dollar, he said. Meanwhile according to the middle exchange rate of Bank Indonesia on Friday, rupiah weakened to the level of 11,431 from 11,407 per dollar earlier. (*)