SK Hynix nears $1 trillion value

SK Hynix is approaching a $1 trillion market valuation as surging demand for artificial intelligence propels semiconductor stocks, weeks after Samsung Electronics surpassed the milestone. The memory-chip maker’s shares have jumped sharply — up more than 200% this year and 274% in 2025 — fueled by orders for conventional DRAM and especially high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI servers and data centers. That rally has pushed SK Hynix’s market capitalisation close to $948 billion based on recent prices and exchange rates, leaving the company within striking distance of becoming South Korea’s second trillion-dollar firm and the first country outside the United States to host more than one such company.

Investors and analysts attribute the re-rating to intensified spending by cloud and tech firms building large-scale AI infrastructure, where HBM and other high-performance memory products are critical for training and running advanced models. The broader semiconductor sector has seen substantial gains as markets price in sustained AI-driven demand, lifting peers such as Samsung to record highs. Market moves have been visible even amid daily fluctuations: SK Hynix shares edged down modestly while Samsung climbed further in recent trading.

Despite optimistic projections, analysts warn of industry risks that could temper valuations, including the sector’s historical cyclicality, potential supply gluts, geopolitical pressures on chip trade, and technological shifts that could alter product mix or pricing. Nonetheless, SK Hynix’s performance underscores South Korea’s growing strategic role in the global tech supply chain, particularly in memory manufacturing that underpins AI computing. If momentum holds, the company could join the ranks of the world’s most valuable tech firms, driven by both near-term earnings strength and expectations of long-term, AI-led demand for advanced memory solutions.