Stock trading accounts hit new peak amid Taiex surge

Taipei, July 2 (CNA) The number of accounts created to trade on the local market rose to a new high at the end of June, as the Taiex, the Taiwan Stock Exchange's (TWSE) benchmark index, soared almost 60 percent in the first half of the year, according to data released Wednesday.

The TWSE data showed that there were about 14.49 million trading accounts in the Taiex as of the end of June, up by 155,000 from the end of May and 720,156 from the end of 2025.

During the first half of the year, the Taiex surged 17,162.31 points, or 59.25 percent from the end of 2025, to close at 46,125.91 on June 30, led by the bellwether electronics sector due to an AI boom. In 2025, the index jumped 25.73 percent.

Market analysts have attributed the Taiex's strong performance to an increasing number of investors joining trading out of "fear of missing out (FOMO)."

On Wednesday, the TWSE data showed that accounts opened by investors over the age of 60 recorded the largest increase, rising by 251,804 in the first six months of 2026, rising to 4.27 million from the end of 2025, which was also the highest number for any age group.

As of the end of June, investors under the age of 20 had 785,558 accounts, up 109,693 from the end of 2025; those aged 20-30 had 1.85 million accounts, an increase of 68,171; and those aged 31-40 had 2.36 million accounts, up 122,620, the data showed.

Investors in the 41-50 age group had 2.70 million accounts as of the end of June, up 95,144 from the end of last year, while those aged 51-60 had 2.40 million accounts, up 65,218, according to the data.

The TWSE said institutional investors held 114,758 trading accounts as of the end of June, up 7,506 from the end of 2025.