US Inflation Held at 3.4% YoY in Aug-26

US Inflation Held at 3.4% YoY in Aug-26 
US headline CPI remained at 3.4% YoY in Aug-26, unchanged from Jul-26 and in line with forecasts. Monthly CPI increased 0.4% MoM, with gasoline prices rising 3.9% and accounting for more than one-third of the monthly increase, while natural gas and electricity prices declined. Core CPI rose 0.3% MoM, above 0.2% in Jul-26, while the annual core rate eased to 2.4% from 2.5%, its lowest level since Mar-21. (Trading Economics)

Bank Mandiri (BMRI) Issued USD 750 mn Additional Tier 1 Perpetual Bond 
BMRI issued a USD 750 mn Additional Tier 1 (AT1) Perpetual Bond on 10 Sep-26 with an initial distribution rate of 7.35% p.a. The bonds were offered to investors outside the U.S. under Regulation S and listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX-ST), with proceeds to strengthen BMRI's capital structure. The issuance was below 20% of BMRI's equity as of 30 Jun-26 and therefore did not qualify as a material transaction under OJK Regulation No. 17/POJK.04/2020. (Emitennews) 

XLSMART Telecom Sejahtera (EXCL) Built 8,000km CANDLE Subsea Cable System 
EXCL is developing the approximately 8,000km CANDLE Cable System connecting Indonesia with Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan, with operations targeted for 2028. The project, which started in Dec-24, is being developed by XLSMART for BUSINESS in collaboration with Meta, Globe Telecom, IPS Inc., Telekom Malaysia, and SoftBank Japan, with NEC as the technology partner. The Golden Buoy was landed at Tanjung Bemban, Batam on 11 Sep-26, with the system expected to connect Batam data centers to regional markets and support growing enterprise demand for high-capacity connectivity driven by cloud computing, AI, and digital services. (Kontan) 

Chandra Asri Pacific (TPIA) Continued to Pursue Cycle & Carriage Acquisition 
TPIA continued to pursue the acquisition of Cycle & Carriage's automotive business in Singapore and Malaysia, which remains conditional pending several processes before the transaction documents can be finalized. The estimated purchase price for the assets is SGD 265 mn or approximately USD 207 mn, with the acquisition aimed at expanding TPIA's regional business platform into vehicle distribution, dealerships, after-sales services, leasing, and commercial vehicles. TPIA also continued other projects targeted for completion by end-2026 and commercial operations in 2027, including further expansion in Singapore. (Kontan)