Taiwan's markets were choppy on August 11 as geopolitical tensions, firmer oil prices, Wall Street weakness, chip-sector pressure and caution ahead of U.S. inflation data and the Federal Reserve drove risk aversion. August Taiwan Index Futures settled at 44,280 points, down 257 points on volume of 54,953 contracts, while the August contract closed at a 116.7-point discount to spot. In the cash market, reports diverged on the closing level: one account said the Taipei stock market closed 214.9 points lower at 44,396.7 with turnover of NT$940.39 billion, while another said bargain-hunting lifted the benchmark index to a 191.96-point gain at 45,120.72 after an intraday swing of more than 500 points. The Taiwan dollar also reversed early gains and ended at NT$32.278, down 4.7 cents, after briefly strengthening to NT$32.174 on foreign inflows before safe-haven demand for the U.S. dollar returned. Foreign investors were reported as net buyers of NT$22.33 billion in listed shares, and the three major institutional investors posted combined net purchases of NT$28.18 billion.