Taiwan labor funds record fifth-largest monthly gain in August

According to a statement from the Bureau of Labor Funds, the labor funds under the Ministry of Labor posted an aggregate gain of NT$366.7 billion in August, marking the fifth-largest monthly increase ever recorded. The rise followed a loss of NT$246.36 billion in July and was attributed to a rebound in global stock markets after tech shares fell in July amid AI-bubble concerns. From January to August, the funds' portfolio value and investment income grew by roughly NT$2.32 trillion, with the Taiwan Stock Exchange index up 59.26 percent and the MSCI World Index up 14.31 percent over the same period.

The overall rate of return for the eight-month span reached 29.45 percent, up from 25.03 percent in the prior seven months. About 53.82 percent of investments were overseas, while 46.18 percent stayed in Taiwan. The Labor Pension Fund, launched in 2015, held NT$5.98 trillion in assets, the highest among the labor funds, and posted a 29.25 percent return for the period.