The Taiwan Stock Exchange’s (TWSE) profit last year was a record NT$13.53 billion (US$410.75 million), TWSE chairman Sherman Lin (林修銘) told a news conference in Taipei yesterday, adding that it aims to attract more listings and deepen financial inclusion this year.
The results translate into earnings per share of NT$10.5 and the corporation plans to distribute a NT$6 per share cash dividend this year.
“We’re seeking to add 65 new listings this year from domestic and foreign firms, a doable goal, as the local capital market is gaining importance and popularity,” Lin said.
Photo: CNA
The TAIEX last year closed up 28.47 percent from a year earlier, the second-best performer globally after the tech-heavy NASDAQ, Lin said, adding that Taiwan’s main board has become an international “first tier” arena that generates hefty profits for investors.
The TAIEX’s performance was despite mounting uncertainty around the world, Lin said.
The showing has much to do with an unabated artificial intelligence craze, which has benefited local firms in global supply chains, he said.
Photo: CNA
Market capitalization surged to NT$74 trillion, making the TWSE the world’s 12th-largest exchange, from 17th a year earlier, while trade volume climbed to 10th from 19th, he said.
“We aim to bolster market capitalization to crack the world’s top 10 this year,” he said.
Average daily turnover reached a new high of NT$421.4 billion, propelling annual trading volume to NT$100 trillion, more than three times what it was 10 years ago, Lin said.
At the same time, the exchange’s price-to-earnings ratio rose to 20-fold from 15-fold a year earlier, while its price-to-book ratio was 2.49-fold, up from 1.74-fold at the end of 2023, TWSE data showed.
All gauges reflected the net increase in local shares as investors at home and abroad boosted their holdings on the expectation of profit growth, Lin said.
The TWSE would reach out to firms in Southeast Asia to take advantage of the region’s rapid economic growth and business potential, he said, adding that the company would work with global partners and join major investment events to boost the exchange’s image.
The local stock exchange took pride in the fast growth in exchange-traded funds, as the trend indicates that a rising number of retail investors are trading on the exchange, Lin said.
The number of securities accounts was 13.22 million at the end of last month, more than doubling from a decade earlier as efforts to deepen financial inclusion made substantial headway, he said.
The TWSE would continue to advance financial inclusion by giving individual investors and businesses access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs, he added.
ANNOUNCEMENT: People who do not comply with the ban after a spoken warning would be reported to the police, the airport company said on Friday Taoyuan International Airport Corp on Friday announced that riding on vehicles, including scooter-suitcases (also known as “scootcases”), bicycles, scooters and skateboards, is prohibited in the airport’s terminals. Those using such vehicles should manually pull them or place them on luggage trolleys, the company said in a Facebook post. The ban intends to maintain order and protect travelers’ safety, as the airport often sees large crowds of people, it said, adding that it has stepped up publicity for the regulation, and those who do not comply after a spoken warning would be reported to the police. The company yesterday said that
QUIET START: Nearly a week after applications opened, agencies did not announce or promote the program, nor did they explain how it differed from other visitor visas Taiwan has launched a six-month “digital nomad visitor visa” program for foreign nationals from its list of visa-exempt countries who meet financial eligibility criteria and provide proof of work contracts. To apply, foreign nationals must either provide proof that they have obtained a digital nomad visa issued by another country or demonstrate earnings based on age brackets, the Bureau of Consular Affairs said. Applicants aged 20 to 29 must show they earned an annual salary of at least US$20,000 or its equivalent in one of the past two years, while those aged 30 or older must provide proof they earned US$40,000 in
UNITY MESSAGE: Rather than focusing on what Trump said on the campaign trail about Taiwan, Taipei should be willing to engage with the US, Pompeo said Taiwan plays a key role in Washington’s model of deterrence against China, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said in a speech in Taipei yesterday. During US president-elect Donald Trump’s first term, “we had developed what we believe was a pretty effective model of deterrence against adversaries who wanted to undermine the set of rules and values that the people of Taiwan and the people of the US hold dear,” Pompeo said at a forum organized by the Formosa Republican Association. “Succeeding in continuing to build this model will not solely rest at the feet of president Trump and his team,
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS: The suspects formed spy networks and paramilitary groups to kill government officials during a possible Chinese invasion, prosecutors said Prosecutors have indicted seven retired military officers, members of the Rehabilitation Alliance Party, for allegedly obtaining funds from China, and forming paramilitary groups and assassination squads in Taiwan to collaborate with Chinese troops in a possible war. The suspects contravened the National Security Act (國家安全法) by taking photos and drawing maps of key radar stations, missile installations and the American Institute in Taiwan’s headquarters in Taipei, prosecutors said. They allegedly prepared to collaborate with China during a possible invasion of Taiwan, prosecutors said. Retired military officer Chu Hung-i (屈宏義), 62, a Republic of China Army Academy graduate, went to China
RSS