SK hynix, South Korea’s global semiconductor powerhouse, has overtaken Samsung Electronics as the country’s most valuable listed company, marking a major shift in investors’ appetite as the AI boom fuels demand for advanced memory chips.
SK hynix’s market capitalization reached about 2,091 trillion won ($1.36 trillion) on Monday, edging past Samsung Electronics at roughly 2,090 trillion won ($1.359 trillion) in a move that ended Samsung’s 26-year reign as the most valuable company on South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index.
AI Memory Pushes SK hynix to the Front
The rally has been driven by SK hynix’s strength in high-bandwidth memory, a premium class of memory chips used with AI accelerators to move large volumes of data quickly and efficiently.
As demand for AI servers grows, HBM has become one of the most important products in the semiconductor industry, giving SK hynix a stronger position with customers building next-generation computing systems.
SK hynix has also been moving quickly on newer products, saying it shipped samples of its 12-layer HBM4E to major customers, with the chip offering a maximum data-processing speed of 16Gbps per pin and improved power efficiency as AI server demand pushes chipmakers to compete on speed, density and energy use.
The company’s earnings have also reflected that demand. SK hynix reported record quarterly results in the third quarter of 2025, saying strong sales of HBM and high-performance server products helped lift operating profit above 10 trillion won ($6.53 billion) for the first time, while demand for AI servers also boosted high-capacity DDR5 and enterprise SSD shipments.
Two-Month Rally Sends SK hynix to Records
SK hynix shares gained 5.61 Percent on Monday, rising from 2,764,000 won ($1,804.25) to 2,919,000 won ($1,905.43) as the stock added 155,000 won ($101.18) in a single session.
The jump extended a powerful two-month rally, with the stock climbing from around the 1.8-million-won range in late April to just under 3 million won. The move has pushed SK hynix into record territory and showed how strongly AI demand is driving Korea’s chip stocks.
For Samsung, the shift adds pressure to regain investor confidence in advanced memory chips. For SK hynix, it shows how AI demand is moving beyond everyday technology use to reshape market behavior, redirect investor appetite and turn the company into Korea’s new market leader.
