TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's stock market was volatile Wednesday (Nov. 13), as tech, petrochemical and steel stocks fell while optical and mid-cap stocks gained ground.
The Taiwan Stock Exchange Capitalization Weighted Stock Index (TAIEX) closed down 121.54 points at the day’s low of 22,860.23. Turnover totaled NT$380.9 billion (US$11.7 billion), per CNA.
Foreign institutional investors are optimistic about the prospects of new smartphone models, anticipating increased demand for updated camera specifications. This positive sentiment has benefited Largan Precision, a leading manufacturer of optical lenses.
The company’s stock price rose 4.43% to close at NT$2355, lifting the entire optical sector. Genius Electronic Optical closed 2.17% higher at NT$448.
The electronic sector declined by 0.53%, accounting for over 69% of the total trading volume. The financial sector also fell 0.55%, while the plastics and steel sectors weakened by 0.98% and 0.43%, respectively.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) continued its decline, closing 1.43% lower at NT$1,035. Foxconn edged up 0.23% to NT$214.5, while MediaTek fell 0.79% to NT$1,255.
Market speculation that Nvidia plans to include Battery Backup Units (BBUs) as a standard feature in its upcoming GB200 servers has boosted Taiwan's battery supply chain. Shares of STL Technology and Dynapack Technologies hit their daily limit, while Advanced Energy Solution Holding rose 4.53% to close at NT$761.
Chu Hsiang-sheng (儲祥生), Hua Nan Securities Investment Management head, said the recent downturn in US tech stocks has been followed by a strong market rally after Donald Trump’s election. However, Chu cautioned that policy uncertainties remain, and Taiwan's stock market may consolidate in the short term.
