TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's stock market surged on Wednesday (Jan. 22), closing with a significant rally driven by strong performances in the electronics sector. The market opened 172 points higher at 23,472 points and continued to rise, gaining over 300 points to reach a peak of 33,600.11 points. TSMC (台積電) led the charge, increasing by NT$25 or 2.23%, closing at NT$1,145.
Electronics stocks showed robust growth, with MediaTek (聯發科) climbing NT$20 to NT$1,485, Hon Hai (鴻海) rising NT$2 to NT$180.5, and Wiwynn (緯穎) jumping NT$35 to NT$2,400. Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (力積電) hit the upper limit within five minutes of opening, reaching NT$19.95 with a trading volume exceeding 70,000 shares in just over 10 minutes.
The previous day, the weighted index closed at 23,300.01 points, up 33.19 points or 0.14%, with a total transaction value of NT$262.318 billion. Foreign investors have been net buyers for four consecutive days, with a net purchase of NT$259 million before the market closed. They heavily invested in financial stocks, notably Shin Kong Financial (新光金), while adjusting positions in panel manufacturers such as Innolux (群創) and AUO (友達).
Meanwhile, U.S. markets celebrated the first trading day under President Trump, with the Dow Jones rising over 530 points. The Dow closed at 44,025.81 points, up 537.98 points or 1.24%. The Nasdaq rose 126.58 points or 0.64%, closing at 19,756.78 points, while the S&P 500 increased 52.58 points or 0.88%, ending at 6,049.24 points. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index climbed 68.76 points or 1.29%, closing at 5,378.49 points.
