Taiwan stocks ended down 0.46 percent on Friday, as oil plays tumbled following a plunge in oil prices, despite a steadying of commodities prices in early Asia trading. The main TAIEX index finished down 41.38 points at 8,977.23 after opening down 0.23 percent. The oil and plastics sub-indexes dropped 2.29 percent and 1.78 percent respectively.
The property sub-index was the top gainer, up 2.58 percent. Newspapers said on Friday that the government would remove mortgage loan caps for purchases by young people and study other incentives to boost the property market. The transport sub-index also outperformed on cheaper oil prices, advancing 1.97 percent. The Taiwan dollar eased 0.11 percent to T$28.664. Foreign investors were net buyers on Thursday, picking up T$1.29 billion.