Stocks climbed for a fifth day to its highest level in almost five months. China Airlines Co (
Exporters such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC,
"SARS is easing and commercial activities are resuming, so we can feel the last negative factor coming to an end," said Ju Wen-shyang, who helps manage the equivalent of US$78 million in equities at UBS Asset Management (Taiwan) in Taipei.
Ju favors shares of personal-computer related companies.
The TAIEX added 25.88, or 0.5 percent, to 4,999.07, its highest since Jan. 28. The index traded in a range between 4,993.04 and 5,089.08 during the session. Almost three stocks gained for every two that dropped. June futures on the index slid 0.4 percent to 5,016.
About 6.9 billion shares changed hands, more than double the daily average in the past three months and the busiest since Jan. 24. Trading was worth NT$148.3 billion (US$4.3 billion), the highest in 14 months.
China Airlines climbed NT$0.35, or 2.5 percent, to NT$14.65.
EVA Airways rose NT$0.25, or 1.9 percent, to NT$13.45. EVA said this week it expects June sales to tumble by about 27 percent from the same month a year earlier.
TSMC, the world's largest supplier of made-to-order semiconductor chips, rose NT$1, or 1.7 percent, to NT$59. Rival United Microelectronics Corp (聯電) was flat at NT$23.80. Both companies gave up most of their early gains in tandem with firmer American depository receipts overnight.
Delta Electronics, the world's biggest maker of computer power systems and chargers, gained NT$1.20, or 2.6 percent, to NT$47.50.
China Development Financial Holding Corp (
Nanya Technology Corp (
The US government said it may impose tariffs as high as 45 percent on imports of computer memory chips from Hynix Semiconductor Inc and other South Korean manufacturers after it found they received unfair subsidies from their government. Rivals such as Nanya may benefit, some analysts said.
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