Silicon Integrated takes a fall as Via gets a lift

Stocks fell, paced by Silicon Integrated Systems Corp (矽統), after the US International Trade Commission restricted the import of the company's chips because of alleged patent infringements.

The TAIEX fell 16.67, or 0.4 percent, to 3,947.61. Almost the same number of stocks fell as rose.

The total value of trade was NT$50.1 billion (US$1.43 billion), 14 percent below the three-month daily average.

The index rose as much as 1.7 percent in early trading after a US federal judge granted President George W. Bush's request to end a US West Coast port lockout that delayed shipments to the nation's second-largest market.

Silicon Integrated fell 6.8 percent to NT$24.60. The world's third-largest maker of computer chipsets yesterday said the US agency stopped the import of chips made using a process included in a lawsuit brought by United Microelectronics Corp (聯電). Rival Via Technologies (威盛電子) rose 1.5 percent to NT$41.

"Motherboard companies that don't want to be affected by patent problems will avoid using Silicon Integrated chips," said Fubon Securities Co (富邦證券) analyst Orry Lai.

China Steel Corp (中鋼) rose NT$0.10, or 0.6 percent, to NT$16. Taiwan's largest steelmaker said sales last month rose 41 percent from a year earlier to NT$8.7 billion.

Avision Inc (虹光) rose NT$0.30, or 1.4 percent, to NT$21.50. The image scanner and facsimile-machine maker plans to spend as much as NT$200 million to buy back 5 million shares, or 2.4 percent of its outstanding shares, starting today and ending Dec. 8.

Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp (奇美光電) rose NT$0.20, or 0.7 percent, to NT$30.50. Taiwan's third-largest maker of flat-panel displays said sales last month fell 4 percent from the previous month to NT$3.1 billion.