Shares ended flat yesterday, as declines in technology stocks offset rises in financial and older industry sectors, such as shipping and construction, dealers said.
The TAIEX finished down 0.81 point, or 0.01 percent, at 5,846.02 in dealings valued at NT$103.01 billion (US$3.03 billion).
Advancers outnumbered decliners 394 to 292, while 163 stocks ended the day unchanged. Leading the shares that fell were contract chip giants Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), down 1.1 percent at NT$43.9, and United Microelectronics Corp (聯電), which closed 1.4 percent lower at NT$21.7.
Dealers said investors suspect the technology sector's gains are done for the year and so they increased their holdings in more traditional issues.
Makers of DRAM chips, however, generally advanced Wednesday, after Nanya Technology Corp (南亞科技) reported its August revenue rose to NT$3.54 billion (US$104.4 million), up from NT$2.87 billion (US$84.6 million) in the same month last year. Nanya Technology rose 2 percent to NT$26.2. Dealers said financial shares rose as overseas investors added to their holdings ahead of changes to Taiwan's weighting in Morgan Stanley Capital International's indexes. First Financial Holding Co (第一金控) rose 2.8 percent to NT$25.5 on suspected government fund purchases in an attempt to keep market momentum up ahead of the legislative elections on Dec. 11, dealers said.
An optimistic outlook on global demand for container shipping in the next few years boosted Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運), which surged 4.8 percent to NT$35 and Yang Ming Marine Corp (陽明海運) gained 3.3 percent to NT$31.7.
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