TAIEX climbs 0.32 percent
Taiwan’s share prices closed higher yesterday, with the TAIEX climbing 26.2 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 8,004.89.
The local bourse opened at 8,021.71 and fluctuated between a low of 7,996.77 and a high of 8,030.11 during the day’s trading. Market turnover totaled NT$124.49 billion (US$3.97 billion).
Gainers outnumbered losers 1,794 to 1,282, with 353 remaining unchanged.
Foreign investors and Chinese qualified domestic institutional investors were net buyers of NT$3.99 billion in shares.
Former mayor takes hotel reins
Former Taipei mayor Thomas Huang (黃大洲) yesterday became the 12th chairman of the Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店) after receiving the hotel’s official seal from acting chairman Chen Tien-kuei (陳天貴) during an inauguration ceremony.
Huang, who also took charge of the debt-laden Kaohsiung Grand Hotel, the sister hotel of the one in Taipei, said he would strive to solve the southern hotel’s problems with the cooperation of all parties involved.
He said the hotel would also seek funds to repair its facilities.
Huang served as Taipei mayor from 1990 to 1994.
Standard Chartered unveils ads
Standard Chartered Bank (Taiwan) Ltd (渣打商銀) yesterday launched its new advertisement campaign “Here for Good,” vowing to leverage its global platform to improve its customer experience in the local market.
The bank has recently issued a customer charter that aims to facilitate a customer-oriented relationship, instead of a product-oriented one, with its clients, Sunil Kaushal , the bank’s president and CEO in Taiwan, told reporters.
He promised to provide a full range of bank services to local customers this year with a priority in boosting corporate, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) and retail banking business.
The bank has become the largest international bank for personal loans, mortgages and participation in SME businesses, he said while revealing his bank’s three latest commercials.
Asustek expresses optimism
Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦) is optimistic about its business prospects in the second quarter because of better-than-expected performance in the first quarter, company executives said on Thursday.
First-quarter revenue totaled NT$74.807 billion, down 6.24 percent from the previous quarter, but better than the previous forecast of a 10 percent to 20 percent contraction, chief executive officer Jerry Shen (沈振來) said at a shareholder meeting.
Last month’s revenue hit NT$31.715 billion, an increase of 56 percent from February and 71 percent year-on-year growth.
Shen also forecast that the company’s revenue would expand from quarter to quarter this year, thanks to rebounding business around the world, particularly in eastern Europe.
Brushing aside speculation that an ash cloud from an erupting volcano in Iceland might have affected its business in Europe, chairman Jonney Shih (施崇棠) said the impact of suspended European flights on the company’s deliveries would be limited, as it had increased its marine transport ratio.
Shih also reiterated his resolve to make Asustek the world’s third-largest computer firm next year.
Local currency loses ground
The New Taiwan dollar lost ground against the US dollar on the Taipei Foreign Exchange yesterday, declining NT$0.062 to close at NT$31.460. Turnover was US$655 million.
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