Taiwan stocks closed at 45,224.29 on Aug. 21, gaining 290.55 points and reclaiming the 45,000-point level as all three major institutional investor categories registered net buying. Foreign investors and mainland Chinese capital bought a net NT$28.3 billion, or approximately $889.8 million, for a second consecutive session, helping lift both equities and the Taiwan dollar. The currency closed at NT$31.848 against the U.S. dollar, up 7.7 cents and near a two-month high, marking its third straight daily gain. Combined turnover in the Taipei and Yuan Tai foreign exchange markets was only $1.62 billion, or approximately NT$52 billion, below $2 billion. For the week, the Taiwan dollar rose 1.98 cents, or 0.62%, for a fourth consecutive weekly gain. A decline in the U.S. Dollar Index below 99, lower Treasury yields after the U.S. Treasury Department expanded its longer-dated bond buyback program, and renewed foreign-investor buying supported Asian currencies. Traders said the Taiwan dollar is consolidating between NT$31.8 and NT$32.0, with further gains dependent on sustained foreign inflows and continued dollar weakness. Safe-haven demand linked to the volatile U.S.-Iran conflict, stronger-than-expected U.S. data, or a rebound in the dollar could limit its upside.