The Open Bell — Ep. 085 — 19 Oct 2026
Today on The Open Bell:
Indonesia's stock market just had its worst two days since the 1998 Asian financial crisis, because a single American index firm floated the idea of kicking the country out of the global benchmarks that trillions of dollars in passive funds track automatically, and that's not a rumor sending prices down, that's the mechanism working exactly as designed.
Congress passed Russia sanctions with overwhelming bipartisan support, they were two days from taking effect, and Trump signed a waiver on Friday to suspend them entirely, all while diesel prices sit near record highs and the people who benefit from cheap Russian oil are not American drivers.
China's economy grew 4.5% in the third quarter, ahead of forecasts, but the real number is retail sales, which came in nearly three times what analysts expected in September, the first genuine signal that Chinese consumers might actually be spending again after years of sitting on their hands.
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Not investment advice. For informational purposes only.
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Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:18 Indonesia's Jakarta Index Tumbles 5% as MSCI Eyes Full Remov 03:39 Trump Waives Graham Act Russia Sanctions, Oil Dips on Diesel 05:54 Closing thoughts