Taiwan stocks fall

Taiwan stocks ended down 1.65 percent on Thursday, the third consecutive session of steep declines, weighed down by rubber makers and LCD firms which slumped 6.05 percent and 3.98 percent respectively. The main TAIEX index fell 139.59 points to 8,317.27, after opening up 0.18 percent.
Fund managers said investors were focusing on short-term buying of shares with low valuations or those with positive news, failing to help the market sustain momentum. The main share index was expected to trade in the 8,400-8,600 range. Electronics shares slipped 1.98 percent, with LCD makers Chimei Innolux down 4.14 percent and AU Optronics off 4.98 percent. Banking shares were among the few gainers, climbing 0.34 percent. A source said Taiwan's financial regulator is planning to loosen rules to make it easier for local banks to buy into Chinese banks and to tap the massive mainland market.