Share prices ended slightly higher yesterday, with construction stocks leading the gains, while profit-taking in technology issues limited the market's rise, analysts said.
The TAIEX finished the session 22.05 points, or 0.3 percent, higher at 6,545.54.
Turnover was NT$120.46 billion (US$3.65 billion), compared with the previous session's NT$128.86 billion.
Construction stocks closed 3.1 percent higher on hopes that sales of new houses, depressed by political uncertainties, will soon recover, analysts said.
Huaku Construction Corp (
Electronics shares were off 0.1 percent overall, partly due to strength in the NT dollar, which ended at NT$32.95 against the US dollar on Thursday -- its highest level in more than 34 months.
Profit-taking following this week's gains also hurt technology shares, said Richard Tsai, Grand Cathay Securities Co' (
``There is also the weekend effect,'' said Tsai, referring to what he called a typical reluctance among investors to avoid holding large positions at the end of Friday trading.
After the rise of more than 400 points over the past week, the index is most likely to trade between 6,350 and 6,650 next week, Tsai said.
Among the sharpest losers, flat screen maker AU Optronics Corp (
Financial shares fared relatively well, rising 0.8 percent overall.
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