Taiwan Stocks End Lower As Healthcare, Plastics Shares Weigh On Market

Taiwan equities closed lower on Friday, with the Taiwan Weighted index declining 1.47% as weakness in the Taiwan Biotechnology & Medical Care and Taiwan Plastic sectors weighed on the broader market.

Selling pressure was widespread on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Declining stocks outnumbered advancing shares by 796 to 238, while 84 stocks finished unchanged, highlighting the breadth of the session’s downturn.

The weaker close came despite sharp gains in several individual stocks. Fittech Co Ltd, Fortune Information Systems Corp and Powertech Industrial Co Ltd were among the strongest performers, each posting gains of nearly 10% during the session.

Share Price Movement

Biggest Decliners

ASRock Rack Inc was among the steepest fallers, dropping 59 points in the session. Alchip Technologies Ltd also came under heavy selling pressure, while Giant Manufacturing Co Ltd registered another significant decline.

The contrast between the strongest gainers and decliners underscored the uneven nature of individual stock performance even as the wider market remained firmly in negative territory.

Commodities And Currency

Oil prices moved lower in commodities trading. October crude oil futures declined 1.38% to $101.07 a barrel, while November Brent futures fell 1.76% to $105.74 a barrel. December gold futures slipped 0.30% to $4,394.15 an ounce.

In currency markets, USD/TWD edged down 0.02% to 31.61. TWD/CNY was at 0.21, while US Dollar Index futures stood at 99.05.

Market At A Glance

The session ended with a clear tilt toward sellers, reflected in the large gap between declining and advancing stocks. Sector-level weakness in biotechnology, medical care and plastics added to the pressure on the Taiwan Weighted, while a handful of stocks recorded substantial gains.

Also Read - Closing Auction Session Stays As SEBI Looks To Address Liquidity And Expiry-Day Swings