Taipei — July 18, 2025 — Taiwan Stock Index Futures opened higher in night trading on Thursday, buoyed by global market movements influenced by comments from U.S. President Donald Trump. The futures started at 23,279 points, marking a 19-point increase, and fluctuated throughout the session before stabilizing around 23,290 points — a 30-point gain.
Initial gains were briefly reversed after President Trump criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, calling for interest rates to be slashed to 1%, citing damage to the housing market from high borrowing costs. The remark caused U.S. stock futures to pare their gains momentarily.
However, sentiment improved again as reports surfaced that the White House is preparing to roll out an “AI Action Plan” next week. This initiative is expected to introduce measures supporting the expansion of the artificial intelligence industry in the U.S. with a focus on lighter regulation, aiming to strengthen the country’s position in global AI leadership. Following this, U.S. stock futures — including the Dow Jones, Nasdaq, and S&P — regained momentum, pushing Taiwan’s night session higher.
TSMC, Market Movers, and Sector Trends
Chip giant TSMC (2330) saw strong interest in night trading, briefly climbing to NT$1,160 before settling at around NT$1,155, up by NT$5. Sector performance was mixed, with electronics futures rising by approximately 0.2%, while semiconductor futures slipped 0.2%. The Mid-Cap 100 Futures Index also edged down by 0.1%.
Earlier in the day, the Taiwan stock market closed with a substantial 269-point increase, ending at 23,383 points. This was largely supported by foreign institutional buying, which reached NT$30.92 billion — marking the fourth consecutive day of net foreign inflows. Investment trusts and proprietary traders added NT$3.42 billion and NT$7.6 billion respectively, bringing total purchases by the three major institutional investors to NT$41.94 billion.
Open short positions in Taiwan index futures were also reduced, with net short contracts falling by 4,207 to 48,010.
Technical Outlook and Market Sentiment
Analysts noted that Taiwan’s stock market has shown resilience, with the daily K-line posting four consecutive gains. Thursday’s intraday high of 23,468 points approached the technical resistance level near 23,500. Although the index did not close at the day’s high, a bullish price gap was formed — seen by many as a sign of continued upward momentum.
Experts suggest that short-term technical support now sits at 23,159 points, the lower bound of the new gap. If the market can maintain this level while sustaining average monthly trading volume, the upward trajectory is likely to persist. Market watchers anticipate a near-term attempt to break through the 23,500-point barrier.
As global developments around U.S. monetary policy and the upcoming AI strategy unfold, Taiwanese investors are expected to closely monitor international cues for further direction.
