Taiwan equities finished the trading day higher on Tuesday, led by advances in the Biotech & Medical Care, Chemical/Bio & Medical Care and Electronic Parts/Components sectors. The benchmark Taiwan Weighted index rose 0.68% at the close, marking a fresh all-time high.
Leading individual performers on the Taiwan Weighted included Zig Sheng Industrial Co Ltd (TW:1455), which climbed 10.00% - adding 0.80 points to close at 8.80. Chang Ho Fibre Corp (TW:1468) also gained 10.00%, rising 1.20 points to finish at 13.20. Unitech Printed Circuit Board Corp (TW:2367) advanced 9.98%, up 4.00 points to 44.10 in late trade.
On the downside, Pan Jit International Inc (TW:2481) fell 9.96%, a drop of 9.90 points to end at 89.50. HannsTouch Solution Inc (TW:3049) declined 9.91%, down 1.10 points to 10.00, and Kinpo Electronics Inc (TW:2312) slipped 9.87%, losing 3.00 points to close at 27.40.
Market breadth was recorded in an unusual readout: "Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Taiwan Stock Exchange by 0 to 0."
Unitech Printed Circuit Board Corp (TW:2367) reached an all-time high, finishing up 9.98% or 4.00 points to 44.10.
Commodities and currency moves were modest. Crude oil for March delivery fell 0.31%, down 0.19 to $60.44 a barrel. Brent oil for April delivery eased 0.39% or 0.25 to $64.52 a barrel. The April Gold Futures contract lost 0.08% or 4.26 to trade at $5,118.04 a troy ounce.
On the currency front, USD/TWD rose 0.12% to 31.48, while TWD/CNY was unchanged at 0.22. The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.07% at 96.92.
Key takeaways
- Taiwan Weighted closed up 0.68% and recorded a new all-time high, driven by healthcare and electronic parts sectors.
- Individual large percentage moves were seen in smaller-cap names, with Zig Sheng Industrial, Chang Ho Fibre and Unitech PCB among the top gainers.
- Energy and commodities showed small declines, with Brent and WTI both down, while the U.S. dollar index ticked slightly higher.
Risks and uncertainties
- Significant single-day moves in individual stocks create volatility risk for investors in small-cap and sector-specific positions, particularly affecting electronic parts and biotech sectors.
- Weakness in oil and gold prices introduces commodity-price uncertainty that can influence energy and materials-related companies.
- Currency fluctuations, including a firmer USD/TWD and a slightly stronger U.S. dollar index, may affect exporters and importers operating in Taiwan.
This market snapshot captures the session close and the specific stock and commodity levels reported for the trading day.