Taiwan stocks rose 0.73 percent on Friday, ending the year with a 9.6 percent gain as financial shares including Shin Kong Financial outperformed after Taiwan's central bank raised its benchmark interest rate. After a 78 percent rally in 2009, Taiwan's main TAIEX index closed up 64.59 points at 8,972.50 on the last trading day of 2010.
It gained 8.9 percent in the fourth quarter, following a 12.4 percent rise in the third quarter. The financial sub-index was the biggest winner on Friday, up 2.43 percent.