Taipei, Jan 25, 2026, 08:05 GMT+8 — The market has closed.
- MediaTek closed Friday 9.8% higher at NT$1,630, hitting the peak of its 52-week range
- As Taiwan’s Taiex neared 32,000, buying shifted toward AI-related custom-chip stocks
- Attention shifts to the Fed’s meeting on Jan. 27-28 and MediaTek’s earnings report on Feb. 4
MediaTek Inc (2454.TW) finished Friday at NT$1,630, marking a 9.76% jump that has the chipmaker back in focus ahead of Taiwan’s market reopening Monday, Jan. 26. Trading volume hit around 24.2 million shares, nearly 2.8 times the average, according to price data.
Taiwan’s benchmark Taiex climbed 0.68% to close at 31,961.51 on Friday, briefly surpassing the 32,000 mark, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to drop tariff threats on European countries linked to Greenland, dealers said. Hua Nan Securities analyst Kevin Su noted that “tech stocks continued to steam ahead” amid easing concerns, though chipmaker TSMC showed only a modest rise. MediaTek surged 10% to NT$1,630, with Su highlighting its potential to gain from the current AI-driven push for application-specific integrated circuit designs. Shares of Alchip rose 4.73%, Global Unichip added 5.83%, and foreign investors were net buyers to the tune of NT$23.21 billion, according to exchange data. Focus Taiwan – CNA English News
ASICs — application-specific integrated circuits — are chips designed for a specific task instead of general computing. They’ve turned into a quick way to gauge AI investment, since their design targets particular workloads.
Monday’s focus for traders is on follow-through. Will MediaTek stay above NT$1,600, or will Friday’s surge fade as the broader market returns to its typical pattern?
The next big macro event is just around the corner. The U.S. Federal Reserve will meet on Jan. 27-28, and its statement afterward could send rate-sensitive tech stocks on a global rollercoaster.
MediaTek has marked another date on its calendar: the 4Q25 results investors conference is scheduled for Feb. 4, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. GMT+8, with the January monthly sales report due Feb. 10. Investors will be watching closely for updates on demand trends and progress in its AI-focused custom chip projects.
The risk is obvious. Should global chip sentiment sour or tariff tensions reignite, the stocks that have surged the most could reverse sharply—especially in export-driven markets like Taiwan’s.
MediaTek’s jump intensified the rivalry within Taiwan’s chip design sector, where funds have been shifting between major index leaders and smaller players tied to AI.
The near-term scoreboard is clear: Monday’s open, the Fed’s Jan. 27-28 meeting, and then MediaTek’s Feb. 4 results briefing.
