Taiwan stocks face a volatile Monday as Fed rate-hike fears and the Unimicron origin-labeling probe collide
Taiwan's market is set for a rough open after a hawkish turn from the Fed and a criminal probe into a major chipmaking supplier, though strong AI demand should cushion the fall.
- New Fed chair Kevin Warsh said inflation has not really improved and called rate hikes the main tool, pushing US chip stocks sharply lower.
- Taiwan index futures fell hard overnight, and analysts warn Monday's open could drop several hundred points.
- Unimicron, a big circuit board and IC substrate maker, is being investigated for shipping China-made boards home and relabeling them "Made in Taiwan"; 14 people were questioned and five released on bail.
- Foreign investors are still holding a large bet against Taiwan stocks in the futures market, adding to the downside risk.
- Offsetting all this: Nvidia's strong outlook, a semiconductor trade show opening this week, August sales reports, and Apple's new iPhone launch next week.
Outlook: Expect choppy trading with money rotating between sectors, and watch whether the index holds its one-month average level around 45,075.