Taiwan stocks fall, weighed by HTC, cement firms

TAIPEI: Taiwan stocks fell 0.71 percent on Thursday, with smartphone maker HTC ending lower for a second day after reporting a 30 percent monthly fall in November sales.

The main TAIEX index closed 50.10 points lower at 6,982.90. The biggest losing sector was cement, down 2.6 percent.

HTC slipped 3.15 percent, extending its slide since Wednesday to about 10 percent.

HTC said on Wednesday it has no plans to change its fourth-quarter sales guidance, amid analyst concerns that its sales decline may not moderate from the November drop.

The Taiwan dollar weakened slightly at T$30.182.

Foreign investors were net buyers on Wednesday, bringing their total buying to T$33.35 billion this month.