The Taiwan stock market has climbed higher in two straight sessions, collecting almost 80 points or 0.7 percent. The Taiwan Stock Exchange now rests just above the 10,940-point plateau although it may be stuck in neutral on Monday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets offers little clarity amid a lack of catalysts, although a drop in crude oil prices should limit any upside. The European and U.S. markets were mixed and flat, and the Asian bourses figure to follow that lead.
The TSE finished slightly higher on Friday as gains from the steel stocks were dented by weakness from the financials and a mixed picture from the technology sector.
For the day, the index gained 5.37 points or 0.05 percent to finish at 10,942.30 after trading between 10,918.12 and 10,977.81 on turnover of 127.90 billion Taiwan dollars.
Among the actives, Cathay Financial lost 0.55 percent, while Mega Financial fell 0.74 percent, Fubon Financial gave away 0.75 percent, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company shed 0.22 percent, Innolux retreated 0.87 percent, Catcher Technology advanced 1.46 percent, Largan Precision dipped 0.13 percent, Hon Hai Precision spiked 2.85percent, Taiwan Cement tumbled 1.90 percent, China Steel added 0.43 percent and Taiwan Steel Union was unchanged.
The lead from Wall Street is flat to lower as stocks turned in a lackluster performance on Friday, bouncing back and forth across the unchanged line before closing mixed.
The Dow shed 58.67 points or 0.24 percent to finish at 24,753.09, the NASDAQ added 9.42 points or 0.13 percent to 7,433.85, and the S&P fell 6.43 points or 0.24 percent to 2,721.33. For the week, the NASDAQ jumped 1.1 percent, the Dow added 0.2 percent and the S&P rose 0.3 percent.
The choppy trading came as traders were away from their desks ahead of the long Memorial Day weekend. Geopolitical uncertainty also kept some traders on the sidelines after President Donald Trump's decision to call off the historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
In economic news, the Commerce Department noted a bigger than expected decrease in durable goods orders in April. Also, the University of Michigan unexpectedly saw a drop in consumer sentiment in May.
Energy stocks saw substantial weakness amid a steep drop by the price of crude oil. Crude for July delivery plummeted $2.83 to $67.88 a barrel following reports oil producing nations are considering easing production limits.
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December 19, 2025 15:10 ET U.S. inflation data and interest rate decisions by major central banks were the highlights of this busy week for economics news flow. Employment data and survey results on the housing markets also gained attention in the U.S. In Europe, the European Central Bank and Bank of England announced their policy decisions and macroeconomic projections.