Shares close higher
Share prices closed 0.37 percent higher yesterday, as fund managers and institutional investors bought into the market to dress up their books for the end of the month, dealers said.
However, late profit-taking took stocks off highs after a third day of gains.
The weighted index added 24.65 points at 6,611.77, off a high of 6,667.62, on turnover of NT$89.45 billion (US$2.72 billion).
Asustek, Huan Hsin to team up
Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), the world's largest maker of motherboards, said yesterday it will form a US$30 million notebook casing venture with Singapore's Huan Hsin Holdings Ltd.
Asustek will invest US$14.7 million for a 49 percent stake in the new Shanghai-based company, said Nick Wu, a spokesman for Taipei-based Asustek. Huan Hsin has experience and expertise in the manufacture of casings for notebooks, he said.
The new venture will supply notebook computer shells for Asus-branded products as well as Asustek's manufacturing customers and is "unlikely" to supply competitors, Wu said.
Standard Chartered income up
Standard Chartered Bank posted a record 50 percent growth in revenue of its wholesale banking business in Taiwan in the first half of the year, bolstered by its regional network and sophisticated financial services and products that have secured customer return business, the bank said yesterday.
"We expect to continue the growth momentum in the second half" through enhanced support of strong network in Asia markets and the introduction of more products and services, said Helen Hui (許穗華), managing director and head of client relations in the wholesale banking division at Standard Chartered Bank Taiwan, at a media briefing yesterday.
Standard Chartered Bank was ranked No. 2 for all Asia in fixed income products and project finance and No. 3 in the Asia-Pacific for syndicated loans, according to the bank.
Japan imposes duties
Japan may extend an anti-dumping duty on polyester staple fibers from South Korea and Taiwan in response to a request from three Japanese fiber makers, including Toray Industries Inc.
Japan's trade ministry yesterday said it is investigating evidence submitted by Toray, Teijin Fibers Ltd and Unitika Fibers Ltd that fibers from South Korea and Taiwan are being sold in Japan at unfairly low prices.
Japan has imposed tariffs on the imported fibers of between 6 percent and 13.5 percent between July 26, 2002, and now, a joint statement from Japan's trade and finance ministries said.
Evergreen's profits plummet
Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運), Asia's largest container shipping company by fleet size, had its first quarterly loss in three years because of lower freight rates and losses from investments.
Net loss was NT$1.16 billion in the three months ending June 30, compared with a profit of NT$3.19 billion a year earlier. The loss was the first for the company since the second-quarter of 2003.
Evergreen booked investment losses of NT$1.76 billion in the first half of the year, compared with NT$1.3 million a year earlier, it said in a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange yesterday, without elaborating.
Evergreen Marine's sales in the period fell to NT$9.11 billion, according to the company's monthly filings to the stock exchange.
NT dollar gains ground
The New Taiwan dollar gained against the US dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange yesterday, rising NT$0.004 to close at NT$32.906 on turnover of US$810 million.
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