Taiwan's shares ended slightly lower yesterday on record high global oil prices and concerns over second-quarter earnings.
The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange fell 17.58 points, or 0.3 percent, to 6,109.66, a two-and-a-half month low. It was the lowest level since June 7, when the index hit 6,105.79.
There were 334 gainers, 555 decliners, and 155 that closed without change.
Crude oil prices reached a record US$68 a barrel yesterday on renewed concerns that supply won't keep up with fourth-quarter demand in the US.
Transport stocks, which are highly sensitive to oil prices, fell 2.9 percent as a whole.
Shares in Taiwan's largest carrier, China Airlines (華航), were down 0.6 percent at NT$15.8 and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp (陽明海運) lost 3.6 percent to NT$23.55.
Investors were also cautious as they await second-quarter corporate earnings, traders said.
"Only one-tenth of listed companies have filed their second-quarter earnings results," said Maggie Chien, a manager at President Securities Corp (統一證券). "Based on past experience, the later these companies report their results, the worse the earnings are," she said.
Among the companies yet to disclose their second-quarter earnings, Hannstar Display Corp (瀚宇彩晶) fell 4.3 percent to NT$8.34, and motherboard maker Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦) lost 1.7 percent at NT$82.6.
Electronics stocks, which accounted for 79.1 percent of the session's turnover, rose 0.8 percent as a whole on Intel's optimism on the notebook computer industry.
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