Stocks advanced for a second day after a report in the US showed manufacturing gained in February, suggesting a recovery in demand from Taiwan's biggest export market for semiconductors.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC,
The TWSE Index added 83.27, or 1.4 percent, to 5957.75 as 292 stocks fell while 199 rose. The total value of trade was NT$165.4 billion (US$4.7 billion), the highest since Jan. 25 and more than two-thirds above the six-month daily average of NT$98 billion.
Chipmakers rose after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, a price-weighted index of companies that design and make chips, gained 5.9 percent yesterday.
TSMC, the largest made-to-order chipmaker, which sold more than two-thirds of its semiconductors to the US last year, rose NT$4.50, or 5.2 percent, to NT$91. Rival United Microelectronics Corp (UMC,
Computer-memory-chip makers rose after the price of a 128-megabit dynamic random access memory chip gained 2.3 percent to US$4.39 yesterday, according to DRAM Exchange, a market place for memory chips. Infineon Technologies AG, Europe's No.2 semiconductor maker, said prices are rising with demand.
Nanya Technology Corp (
Ambit Microsystems Corp (
Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd (中華映管) rose NT$2.80, or 6.7 percent, to NT$44.90. Taiwan's second-largest maker of flat screens said it plans to invest NT$30 billion to build a plant making components for the screens.
Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運) NT$0.20, or 1.1 percent, to NT$18.20. Taiwan's largest shipping company by market value said Singapore's PSA Corp offered to cut terminal fees in a bid to prevent Evergreen from moving its transshipment hub out of the busiest port to Malaysia to lower costs.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) rose NT$5, or 3.1 percent, to NT$168. A unit of Taiwan's largest maker of computer cables and connectors plans to join a group led by Cando Corp (劍度) that's buying Hynix Semiconductor Inc's flat-panel display business, local media reported, without citing anyone.
Premier Image Technology Corp (普立爾) rose NT$0.50, or 0.6 percent, to NT$85. The biggest maker of compact cameras forecasts 2002 sales may rise by 25 percent to NT$14 billion from last year as it wins new orders, the Economic Daily News reported, citing the company. Premier will start shipping cameras to Hewlett-Packard Co from this month, the paper reported.
Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) has died of pneumonia at the age of 48 while on a trip to Japan, where she contracted influenza during the Lunar New Year holiday, her sister confirmed today through an agent. "Our whole family came to Japan for a trip, and my dearest and most kindhearted sister Barbie Hsu died of influenza-induced pneumonia and unfortunately left us," Hsu's sister and talk show hostess Dee Hsu (徐熙娣) said. "I was grateful to be her sister in this life and that we got to care for and spend time with each other. I will always be grateful to
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