Middle East tensions cause TAIEX futures to drop in night session, analysts: Taiwan stocks may fluctuate
Due to rising US inflation concerns and escalating tensions in the Middle East, major US stock indices mostly closed lower on May 12, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falling over 3%. This led to a 568-point drop in Taiwan Index Futures during the night session, indicating potential fluctuations in the Taiwan stock market.
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- 📰 Published: May 13, 2026 at 09:22
- 🔍 Collected: May 13, 2026 at 09:31 (9 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 13, 2026 at 09:43 (11 min after Collected)
Taipei, May 13 (CNA reporter Chang Chien-chung) - Due to rising US inflation concerns and persistent tensions in the US-Iran situation, most major US stock indices closed lower on May 12, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index falling over 3%. Analysts state that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)'s American Depositary Receipts (ADR) fell by 1.79%, and Taiwan Index Futures (TAIFEX) dropped by 568 points in the night session, suggesting that Taiwan stocks may fluctuate.
US consumer price index (CPI) was higher than expected, and US-Iran negotiations to end the war were deadlocked, leading most major US stock indices to close lower on May 12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 56.09 points, an increase of 0.11%. The S&P 500 Index fell by 11.88 points, a decrease of 0.16%. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell by 185.92 points, a decrease of 0.71%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell by 363.78 points, a decrease of 3.01%.
Regarding domestic and international industry news, TSMC's board of directors approved a cash dividend of NT$7 per share for the first quarter of 2026, with the ex-dividend trading day set for September 16, 2026. In addition, a capital budget of US$31.2843 billion, approximately NT$984.8 billion, was approved for the establishment of advanced process capacity and the construction of plants and facility engineering.
Foxconn (Hon Hai) stated that some of its North American factory areas were subjected to cyberattacks. The cybersecurity team immediately activated an emergency response mechanism and took multiple emergency operational measures to ensure production and delivery continuity. The affected factory areas are currently resuming normal production.
Teco Electric and Machinery's board of directors approved the acquisition of Malaysian engineering company Dynaciate Engineering Sdn. Bhd., with an expected investment of approximately 200 million Malaysian Ringgit (about NT$1.6 billion). The transaction is planned to be completed in August this year. Teco stated that this acquisition is an important strategy to accelerate the group's transformation into an "AI data center solution provider."
The second-quarter business outlooks for IC design firms Novatek (Phison) and Asmedia differed. Novatek expects second-quarter revenue to increase by over 10% quarter-on-quarter. Asmedia, however, anticipates a conservative outlook for the second quarter and the second half of the year due to rising memory prices and tight CPU supply affecting demand from motherboard customers.
Nanya Plastics' board of directors resolved to dispose of 19,385 shares of its subsidiary Nanya Technology from May 13 to December 31. Based on Nanya Technology's closing price of NT$900 on May 12, the transaction market value amounts to NT$17.447 billion. Nanya Plastics stated that the purpose of this disposal is to enhance working capital and increase the liquidity of Nanya Technology's shares. (Editor: Yang Kai-hsiang) 1150513
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US consumer price index (CPI) was higher than expected, and US-Iran negotiations to end the war were deadlocked, leading most major US stock indices to close lower on May 12. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 56.09 points, an increase of 0.11%. The S&P 500 Index fell by 11.88 points, a decrease of 0.16%. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell by 185.92 points, a decrease of 0.71%. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index fell by 363.78 points, a decrease of 3.01%.
Regarding domestic and international industry news, TSMC's board of directors approved a cash dividend of NT$7 per share for the first quarter of 2026, with the ex-dividend trading day set for September 16, 2026. In addition, a capital budget of US$31.2843 billion, approximately NT$984.8 billion, was approved for the establishment of advanced process capacity and the construction of plants and facility engineering.
Foxconn (Hon Hai) stated that some of its North American factory areas were subjected to cyberattacks. The cybersecurity team immediately activated an emergency response mechanism and took multiple emergency operational measures to ensure production and delivery continuity. The affected factory areas are currently resuming normal production.
Teco Electric and Machinery's board of directors approved the acquisition of Malaysian engineering company Dynaciate Engineering Sdn. Bhd., with an expected investment of approximately 200 million Malaysian Ringgit (about NT$1.6 billion). The transaction is planned to be completed in August this year. Teco stated that this acquisition is an important strategy to accelerate the group's transformation into an "AI data center solution provider."
The second-quarter business outlooks for IC design firms Novatek (Phison) and Asmedia differed. Novatek expects second-quarter revenue to increase by over 10% quarter-on-quarter. Asmedia, however, anticipates a conservative outlook for the second quarter and the second half of the year due to rising memory prices and tight CPU supply affecting demand from motherboard customers.
Nanya Plastics' board of directors resolved to dispose of 19,385 shares of its subsidiary Nanya Technology from May 13 to December 31. Based on Nanya Technology's closing price of NT$900 on May 12, the transaction market value amounts to NT$17.447 billion. Nanya Plastics stated that the purpose of this disposal is to enhance working capital and increase the liquidity of Nanya Technology's shares. (Editor: Yang Kai-hsiang) 1150513
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