The number of accounts created to trade on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) hit a new high last month, even if market sentiment was affected by US President Donald Trump’s tariff polices, the exchange said yesterday.
There were 13.48 million trading accounts opened as of the end of last month, up about 32,000 from the end of May, and also up 264,000 from the end of last year, TWSE data showed.
The stock market took a major hit in April, after Trump announced sweeping tariffs on most US trading partners, including a 32 percent duty for Taiwan, and has remained jittery since then due to Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on semiconductors, the backbone of Taiwan’s exports, and the rapid appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar against the US dollar, meaning foreign exchange losses for Taiwanese exporters.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
In the first half of this year, the TAIEX fell 779.08 points, or 3.38 percent, after soaring 28.47 percent last year.
However, the number of stock trading accounts rose, with accounts opened by those aged 61 or older recording the highest growth of 225,375 in the first half, the data showed.
That age group held about 4.03 million stock trading accounts as of the end of last month, accounting for 29.92 percent of the total, the most of any age group, the data showed.
Meanwhile, investors aged 19 or younger had 592,232 accounts, or 4.44 percent of the total, while those aged 20 to 30 had 1.68 million accounts, or 12.49 percent, and those aged 31 to 40 had 2.19 million accounts, or 16.28 percent.
Those 41 to 50 had 2.58 million accounts, or 19.15 percent of the total, while those aged 51 to 60 had 2.32 million accounts, or 17.23 percent, the data showed.
The TAIEX yesterday closed up 24.02 points, or 0.11 percent, at 22,577.74 due to last-ditch buying focused on select electronics and old economy heavyweights, but market sentiment remained cautious over the US’ uncertain tariff policies, dealers said.
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