Share prices on the Taiwan Stock Exchange skyrocketed Monday, with the weighted index, the market' s key barometer, moving up 181.53 points to close at 9,369.84, according to reports reaching here.

The bourse opened at 9,246.44 and fluctuated between 9,369.84 and 9,239.2 during the day's trading. A total of 8.01 billion shares changed hands on a market turnover of 227.08 billion new Taiwan dollars (6.76 billion U.S. dollars).

Six of the eight major stock categories gained ground, with banking and financial shares moving up the most at 3.6 percent, followed by paper and pulp stocks at 2.3 percent, machinery and electronics issues at 2.2 percent, construction shares at 1.2 percent, plastics and chemicals stocks at 0.6 percent, and cement issues at 0.2 percent.

The two other major stock categories lost ground, with textile shares moving down 1.9 percent and foodstuff stocks decreasing 0.4 percent.

Gainers outnumbered losers 945 to 415, with 152 stocks remaining unchanged.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9 2007)