Taiwan shares closed 0.77 percent higher on Thursday, rising for second straight session, with semiconductor and banking issues leading on investor hopes for an improving earnings outlook. The main TAIEX share index rose 65.66 points to 8,585.77, extending gains from a 2-1/2 year high in the previous session. Semiconductor plays led gainers, with the sub-index up 1.83 percent.
Top chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) rose 2.5 percent. Its chairman was quoted on Wednesday as saying he saw first-quarter sales unchanged from, or up to 5 percent lower than the final quarter of this year.