TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's stock market staged a robust rally on Wednesday (April 2) as shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC, 台積電), the island's dominant chipmaker and market bellwether, surged significantly. The semiconductor giant's strong performance propelled the broader index upward by 33.6 points to open at 21,313.77, setting an optimistic tone for the trading day.
The combined strength of TSMC and financial stocks provided crucial stability, enabling the market to gain over 100 points and reach 21,390 as investors strategically positioned their portfolios ahead of the anticipated "tariff liberation day" on April 2 (Washington time). This wave of buying momentum spread beyond tech stocks to ignite traditional sectors as well, pushing the overall index toward the psychologically important 21,400 threshold.
In early trading sessions, TSMC shares climbed by 4 points to reach 948, single-handedly lifting the weighted index by 9.98 points to 21,290.15 and underscoring the chipmaker's outsized influence on Taiwan's market. The broader electronic sector posted a gain of 0.16%, outpacing financial stocks which edged up by a more modest 0.01%, a pattern that market analysts interpret as continued investor confidence in Taiwan's crucial technology sector.
Meanwhile, the over-the-counter index, which primarily represents smaller companies and startups, registered a slight increase of 0.03%, signaling relative stability across Taiwan's small and medium enterprise landscape. Defense industry stocks maintained their recent momentum, with notable performers including Aerowin Technology Corporation (寶一), Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (漢翔), and Lung Teh Shipbuilding (龍德造船) – all continuing their strong upward trajectory and highlighting the sustained growth potential in Taiwan's increasingly prominent defense sector.
