Taiwan: Stocks mostly flat, bargain-hunting loses steam ahead of weekend

[TAIPEI] Taiwan stocks stayed flat on Friday ahead of the weekend as early bargain-hunting lost steam in a world of ongoing uncertainties.

The UK elections seemed to leave no single party with a clear claim to power in one of Europe's biggest economies, while US President Donald Trump survived, but was not left unscathed, after the FBI chief he fired accused him of trying to undermine the agency's investigation related to Russia.

As of 0322 GMT, the main Taiex index was unchanged at 10,226.84 points, after rising as much as 0.4 per cent in early trade. It closed 0.2 per cent higher in the previous session.

The electronics subindex rose 0.1 per cent, while the financials subindex lost 0.2 per cent.

Shares in chipmaker TSMC, the market's biggest firm by market-cap, , shied back from fresh record highs, after buying on the back of optimism after comments by its founder during a shareholders' meeting Thursday.

Near midday, TSMC stock was flat at NT$213.00, off a fresh high of TT$215.00, hit intraday.

The Taiwan dollar firmed NT$0.004 to NT$30.101 per US dollar.

REUTERS