TAIPEI, Jan 26, 2026, 10:02 GMT+8 — Regular session underway
- Alchip shares climbed 1.6% to T$3,485, hitting T$3,495 briefly in early trading
- Taiwan’s main index kicked off trading up at 32,002.56, with chip-linked stocks still in the spotlight
- Global markets remained volatile ahead of the Fed meeting, as currency swings reemerged.
Alchip Technologies, Limited shares rose 1.6% to T$3,485 in Taipei on Monday, hitting an intraday high of T$3,495. The stock kicked off the session at T$3,460 and marked a second day of gains. 1
Taiwan’s benchmark index kicked off higher once more, with pricey chip stocks holding attention amid a packed week for global policy and tech earnings. The Taiex climbed 41.05 points to 32,002.56, on turnover hitting NT$7.285 billion, CNA reported. 2
Beyond Taiwan, the mood was shakier. The yen’s wild swings have reignited speculation about intervention, with Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Capital Markets, warning that “the cat-and-mouse game with the yen is likely to carry over.” S&P 500 futures slipped 0.4% as investors braced for the Federal Reserve’s meeting later this week. 3
Alchip offers design and manufacturing services for application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and system-on-chip products, per its company profile. ASICs are tailor-made chips designed for a specific task, while a system-on-chip integrates several functions into a single piece of silicon. 4
Semiconductors remain in focus thanks to AI hardware news. Reuters revealed Samsung Electronics will begin making next-gen high-bandwidth memory chips, HBM4, next month for Nvidia, highlighting the fierce competition to provide components for AI processors. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said earlier this month that its Vera Rubin platform has reached “full production.” Samsung and SK Hynix are set to release quarterly earnings on Thursday. 5
In Taiwan, chatter around high-priced stocks has picked up pace. The Economic Daily News reports a surge of funds into Alchip and other “thousand-dollar” shares, with companies promoting equity warrants to investors hunting for leverage. It pointed to “institutional investors” betting on strong growth in NRE — non-recurring engineering fees charged upfront for design work — as more advanced AI and high-performance computing projects advance. 6
Macro headlines resurfaced on the tape. A report to Taiwan lawmakers revealed a potential U.S.-Taiwan trade deal would slash U.S. tariffs on Taiwanese goods from 20% to 15% and set a review after three years. Taiwan’s central bank added the impact on the foreign-exchange market should remain manageable. 7
Alchip’s high valuation makes it susceptible to sudden swings. Should the Fed take a tougher stance than anticipated, or if currency and trade tensions resurface, stocks with lofty multiples could see sharp, rapid declines.
The next key event is the Federal Reserve’s Jan. 27-28 meeting. Microsoft will release its earnings on Jan. 28, followed by Apple’s report on Jan. 29. These dates could shift investor expectations around cloud spending and demand for AI hardware as the month wraps up. 8
