Electronics and Petrochemicals Rally; Taiwan Stock Index Jumps Over 500 Points, Reclaiming 45,000 Level

(Central News Agency reporter Chung Jung-feng, Taipei, July 15) Softer U.S. inflation data and a strong rally in U.S. semiconductor stocks lifted Taiwan's stock market at the opening today, pushing it back above the 45,000-point threshold. The index hit a morning high of 45,282 points, up 544 points. TSMC, the market's heavyweight, reached a peak of NT$2,435, up NT$15 (0.6%), before stabilizing around NT$2,420, closing flat. Although the market's gains narrowed later, it remained above 45,000, with the Formosa Plastics 'Four Treasures' showing strong performance.

Other major electronics stocks also surged: MediaTek and Delta Electronics rose over 2%, Hon Hai saw a slight gain, ASE Holding climbed 3%, UMC surged nearly 5%, memory maker Nanya Technology rose over 4%, and passive component giant Yageo gained over 1%.

Securities firms noted that the U.S. June Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in below expectations, easing rate hike concerns and fueling a rebound in U.S. equities and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index. Today's opening rally in Taiwan coincided with the Taiwan index futures settlement, prompting market watchers to monitor the closing session and post-settlement positioning shifts. (Editor: Yang Lan-hsuan) 1150715