Stocks ended slightly higher yesterday on bargain hunting, with construction stocks leading gains on improving property demand, analysts said.
The TAIEX added 4.2, or 0.1 percent, to 6,879.11, with a turnover of NT$129.49 billion (US$3.88 billion). The index dropped as much as 1 percent in intra-day trading. About the same number of stocks rose as fell. Taiex futures for March delivery shed 0.1 percent to 6,922.
Construction stocks surged 4.2 percent overall, outpacing all other sectors.
Alan Tseng, an analyst at Capital Securities Corp (群益證券), said the bourse was able to recoup early losses because investors sought bargains as the key index approached the short-term support level of 6,800 points.
Shares of Kuoyang Construction Co (
Steel makers also benefited from the rise in property demand. Yieh Loong Steel Co (燁隆) climbed 2.8 percent to NT$18.4, while Chia I Industrial Co (嘉益) surged 6.4 percent. But China Steel Corp (中鋼) fell 0.3 percent to NT$34.10.
Computer-memory chipmakers saw their shares boosted by stabilizing dynamic random access memory prices, analysts said.
Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技), the nation's largest computer memory-chipmaker, climbed 4.8 percent to NT$26.20, and Winbond Electronics Corp (華邦電子) rose 2.2 percent to NT$18.50.
Rival Mosel Vitelic Inc (
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The Hsinchu County Government’s Labor Affairs Department yesterday said that it has received a plan from cosmetics brand Taiwan Shiseido Co (台灣資生堂) detailing mass layoffs at its plant in Hukou Township (湖口). While the labor authorities did not disclose the number of employees to be laid off, Japanese news media earlier in the day reported that the closure of the company’s factory in Hukou would result in 170 employees losing their jobs. Shiseido followed the law by reporting its layoff plan, the department said, adding that authorities would closely monitor negotiations between the management and affected employees and step in if any