Taipei, Jan 19, 2026, 07:36 (GMT+8) — Premarket
- MediaTek ended Friday up 1.01%, closing at NT$1,505.
- Taiwan chip stocks surged following TSMC’s positive AI forecast and news of trade discussions.
- Traders are turning their focus to global tech earnings and await MediaTek’s upcoming monthly sales figures for clues.
MediaTek Inc shares (TWSE:2454) enter Monday’s session after closing 1.0% higher at NT$1,505, holding steady near recent highs. The stock fluctuated between NT$1,490 and NT$1,525 in the previous session, with roughly 10 million shares traded, according to data from Yahoo’s Taiwan market page. (Yahoo Finance)
Why it matters now: MediaTek serves as a key indicator for Taiwan’s tech-driven market and offers a snapshot of trader sentiment on the next phase of the chip cycle. It occupies a tricky spot between two forces — smartphone demand and the drive to embed more AI capabilities directly on devices.
Taiwan’s Taiex hit a fresh high, closing at 31,408.70 on Friday. MediaTek gained too, riding a broader chip sector upswing fueled by strong results and outlook from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Mega International Investment Services analyst Alex Huang pointed to solid AI demand behind the numbers. He also mentioned a recent U.S.-Taiwan trade deal that lowered U.S. tariffs on Taiwan-made goods from 20% to 15%, easing some uncertainty. TSMC’s U.S.-listed ADRs jumped 4.44% overnight. (Taipei Times)
Overseas signals are uneven. Wall Street wrapped up Friday with slight weekly losses as investors sifted through changing U.S. monetary policy outlooks and awaited more earnings reports. “Flat-lining” markets captured that cautious stance, said Ameriprise Financial chief market strategist Anthony Saglimbene. U.S. markets will be closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a holiday that often dampens the usual U.S. influence on Asian trading. (Reuters)
But there’s a downside to the AI boom, with chip stocks often pricing in gains rapidly. TSMC’s record fourth-quarter earnings of around T$505 billion and its ramped-up investment plans have strengthened the bullish outlook. Still, the scale of the expansion raises risks—if AI demand slows, the supply chain could end up with excess capacity. (Reuters)
MediaTek pushed its narrative hard. On Jan. 15, it unveiled the Dimensity 9500s and Dimensity 8500 chips, targeting flagship and premium smartphones. Corporate senior vice president JC Hsu said the goal was to “make bleeding-edge products available to more people.” (MediaTek)
Traders are watching to see if Monday will extend Friday’s rally or serve as a breather. Taiwan’s market has relied heavily on a handful of chip giants, and these shares can swing sharply with changes in global rate forecasts.
MediaTek’s shifts rarely hinge on a single phone release. Instead, they reflect wider investor appetite for risk in the chip sector. When sentiment shifts, the stock often acts like a stand-in for “AI hardware,” despite its core business still spanning phones, connectivity, and computing.
The immediate focus is clear: will foreign investors continue to chase Taiwan tech stocks without new cues from the U.S. market? Traders are also closely monitoring how upcoming U.S. earnings reports might shift forecasts on chip demand and pricing strength.
MediaTek’s investor calendar lists a cash dividend payout on Jan. 30, followed by its January monthly sales report set for Feb. 10 at 5:00 p.m. local time — a key gauge of demand for local investors. (MediaTek)
