Shares of Taiwan's leading defence contractor AIDC gapped higher at today's open and rose more than 9% at one point during the session — good news for investors holding the stock.

• The Legislative Yuan will today negotiate 14 versions of the draft unmanned vehicle act, and the market expects positive news.
• AIDC will also hold an investor conference this afternoon, with observers waiting to see its outlook for the second half of the year.
• The company recently won orders from major civil aviation and engine manufacturers at the Farnborough International Airshow, worth more than NT$22 billion, with the delivery period extended to five to six years.
• Together with orders already secured in the first half, new orders received this year come to nearly NT$35 billion.
• Second-quarter profit rose nearly threefold from the previous quarter, and first-half profit surged, with a clear turnaround in the core business.

Outlook: The result of the negotiations on the act and the second-half outlook released at the investor conference will determine whether this run in defence-related stocks can keep its strength.