TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's stock market plunged 439.72 points on Monday (Feb. 2), closing at 31,624.03 amid widespread declines driven by weak heavyweight performances and external market pressures. Trading volume reached NT$740.4 billion (around US$23.4 billion), reflecting broad selling pressure across major stocks. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC, 台積電) fell NT$10 (around US$0.32), MediaTek (聯發科) dropped NT$55 (around US$1.74), and Foxconn (鴻海) declined NT$6 (around US$0.19).
Memory stocks suffered notable losses, with Nanya Technology (南亞科) and Winbond (華邦電) hitting limit-down prices at NT$294 (around US$9.30) and NT$116 (around US$3.67), respectively. Macronix (旺宏) and ADATA (威剛) each dropped over 8%, closing at NT$84.8 (around US$2.68) and NT$331 (around US$10.47). Transcend Information (創見) and Walton (華東) also hit limit-down prices, closing at NT$240 (around US$7.59) and NT$71.4 (around US$2.26).
Ming-Han Tsai (蔡明翰), assistant manager at Cathay Futures Consultant (國泰證期顧問), said Taiwan's stock market shifted from a "relatively strong" to a "relatively weak" position amid external pressures. He noted significant pressure on the market and emphasized that corrections would be more pronounced in previously high-performing sectors. The analyst warned investors to monitor developments closely as market sentiment remains fragile.
Tsai explained that the U.S. stock market, particularly the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index, heavily influences Taiwan's market movements. He warned that if U.S. stocks enter a consolidation phase, Taiwan's market might face continued consolidation or bottom-seeking pressure. Despite the deep decline in memory stocks, Tsai remains optimistic about the long-term outlook, citing strong AI-related demand and improving corporate profit structures.