UMC leads decliners on report order went to rival

Stocks fell, sending the benchmark to its first weekly drop in eight weeks. United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, 聯電) slid on a newspaper report that Advanced Micro Devices Inc placed an order with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufac-turing Co (TSMC, 台積電 ).

Some exporters such as BenQ Corp (明基電通) and Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶電腦) gained as comments by US Secretary of the Treasury John Snow and falling jobless claims suggested growth in the world's largest economy will improve in the second half.

The TAIEX fell 16.11, or 0.3 percent, to 4,877.90. About three stocks declined for every two that gained. The index shed 2.5 percent for the week, its first weekly decline since the five days ended May 2. July futures on the index fell 0.5 percent to 4,861.

About 3.8 billion shares changed hands, 19 percent above the average daily volume in the past three months. The value of trading was NT$85.9 billion (US$2.5 billion), 32 percent above the average daily value traded in the last three months.

Advanced Micro, the world's No. 2 maker of processor chips for personal computers, will ask TSMC to make low-cost processors to be sold in China, a Chinese-language newspaper reported, citing Advanced Micro vice president Phil Pompa.

UMC, the world's second-largest supplier of made-to-order chips, fell NT$0.30, or 1.3 percent, to NT$22.60. TSMC was unchanged at NT$57.

BenQ rose NT$0.80, or 2.1 percent, to NT$39.60.