TAIPEI – Hey folks, here’s the scoop: China might be giving Taiwan the cold shoulder, but global investors are still madly in love with Taiwan’s stocks! Just ask Sherman Lin, the big cheese at Taiwan’s Stock Exchange, and he’ll tell you – foreign bigwigs aren’t packing their bags just yet.
Flashback to June, and everyone’s jumping onto the Taiwan stock bandwagon. How much, you ask? A whopping $12 billion in just six months, folks! That’s like seeing a unicorn – hadn’t happened since way back in ’08. Plus, to sweeten the deal, Taiwan’s benchmark index is soaring – up a sizzling 16% in dollars this year. That’s better than most of their pals in Asia!
But wait, there’s a twist. The past two months saw the buying frenzy cool down a bit, switching to a bit of selling – we’re talking big numbers, like $2.62 billion in July and climbing in August.
Our man Sherman Lin? Well, he’s not sweating it. According to him, it’s just the market catching its breath after a marathon. “Sure, there’s been a bit of trimming by the foreign fellas, but they’re still hanging onto a hefty 40% of our shares. And guess what? They’ve been sticking around for a good long while,” he dished out last Thursday.
Ever the chatterbox, Lin’s been mingling with global investors from places like Japan and Singapore. And their take? “Tensions with China? Pfft, it’s water off a duck’s back,” he says, pointing out how even the neighbors, who’d be right in the crossfire, aren’t too worked up.
And while China’s been flexing its muscles with war games around the island, investors are scratching their heads, thinking, “With all those planes buzzing about, why aren’t we bailing from Taiwan’s market?” The answer? Taiwan’s just too darn tempting, and China’s showboating isn’t scaring anyone off.
The magnet pulling them in? Taiwan’s killer supply chain. We’re talking big hitters like TSMC, the chip-making kingpin, right at the heart of the red-hot AI scene. “Our supply chain’s robust as an ox. With powerhouses like Foxconn and Quanta Computer, we’ve got the moves to dance around any political drama,” quips Lin.
And here’s the cherry on top: next month, Lin’s teaming up with the island’s securities top dog, planning a trip to the Big Apple and Beantown. They’re hoping to rub elbows with some financial big shots, like stock exchanges, pension fund gurus, and more, aiming to reel in even more dough into Taiwan’s stock pot.
In Lin’s own words, “The more chummy Taiwan gets with global moolah, the safer and snugger we’ll be.”
Alright folks, that’s a wrap! And oh, quick fix – the headline earlier missed the word ‘Taiwan.’ All sorted now! 😉