The TAIEX, Taiwan’s benchmark stock index, surged 1,209 points, or 2.9%, to 43,477 around midday on Monday, gaining for a third straight session and tracking rises in U.S. futures buoyed by optimism surrounding US-Iran end-of-war talks. The broader index touched 43,000 for the first time, mainly supported by a surge in electronic technology stocks, which jumped 3.5%. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which accounts for more than 40% of the market’s total value, rose 1.8%, while MediaTek jumped 10.0% and Delta Electronics soared 8.8%. Meanwhile, technology services rose 1.8%, with Co-Tech Development Corp soaring 4.8%. However, traders awaited the release of data on the country’s industrial production for April after it jumped in March, as well as retail sales data for April.