US Retail Sales Increased 0.5% MoM in Apr-26

US Retail Sales Increased 0.5% MoM in Apr-26 
US retail sales rose 0.5% MoM in Apr-26, in line with market expectations, following a downwardly revised 1.6% increase in Mar-26. Gasoline stations recorded the largest gain at +2.8% amid higher fuel prices driven by the Iran conflict, while sales excluding gasoline stations increased 0.3%. Other strong categories included sporting goods and hobby stores (+1.4%), electronics stores (+1.4%), and nonstore retailers (+1.1%). Meanwhile, core retail sales used in GDP calculation also rose 0.5%, exceeding market expectation of 0.4%, indicating resilient US consumer spending despite inflationary pressures. (Trading Economics) 

Kevin Warsh Confirmed as New Federal Reserve Chairman Amid Political Pressure 
The US Senate confirmed Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve chairman with a narrow 54-45 vote, marking the tightest confirmation margin in the central bank’s history. Warsh will replace Jerome Powell starting Friday amid rising concerns over Fed independence as President Donald Trump continues pressuring for faster interest rate cuts. The confirmation came shortly after Apr-26 US producer price index rose 6.0% YoY, exceeding economist expectations and highlighting persistent inflation pressure partly driven by higher energy prices linked to the Iran conflict. Warsh stated monetary policy would remain “highly independent” under his leadership while also signaling plans to gradually reduce the Fed’s USD 6.7 tn balance sheet. (Bloomberg)

Dayamitra Telekomunikasi (MTEL) Secured IDR 500 bn Green Loan Facility from HSBC Indonesia 
MTEL secured a short-term uncommitted Green Trade Loan facility worth IDR 500 bn from HSBC Indonesia to support development of sustainable telecommunications tower infrastructure and expansion of Fiber to the Tower network across Indonesia. Management stated the financing will accelerate implementation of ESG initiatives, including renewable energy utilization through Power as a Service (PaaS) and solar panel integration to improve energy efficiency and reduce operational carbon footprint. The co. also highlighted its ESG Risk Rating of 18.8 categorized as Low Risk by Morningstar Sustainalytics. (Emitennews) 

Dian Swastatika Sentosa (DSSA) Proposed No Dividend Distribution for FY25 
DSSA proposed to retain all FY25 earnings despite recording net profit attributable to parent entity of USD 230.53 mn in 2025. In the upcoming AGM on 09 Jun-26, the co. plans to allocate only USD 100 thousand as statutory reserve, while the remaining USD 230.43 mn will be booked as retained earnings to support funding needs for new projects across subsidiaries. Management stated the decision aligns with the co.’s ongoing large capital requirements despite having dividend distribution capacity of up to 30% of net profit based on internal policy. (Emitennews)