SK Hynix stock rose 5.67% from Tuesday’s close to 1.417 million won in early Seoul trading on Wednesday. The chipmaker had posted record quarterly sales of 104.6 trillion won ($78.9 billion) and forecast memory shortages through 2030.
That outlook runs against how investors had been pricing chip stocks. Goldman Sachs estimated that Korean chip valuations implied a 65% fall in 2027 sector earnings.
How SK Hynix’s Record Quarter Compares With What Analysts Expected
Third-quarter revenue reached 104.62 trillion won, according to the company’s results. Operating profit hit 83.33 trillion won, an 80% margin.
Both figures beat LSEG SmartEstimates of 98.34 trillion won and 76.72 trillion won. On the earnings call, the company said average DRAM selling prices rose by a high-20s percentage from the second quarter.
Net profit was weaker. It fell 58% from the prior quarter to 39.78 trillion won, below FnGuide’s forecast of 61.29 trillion won. The second quarter had included large gains that analysts tied to its Kioxia stake sale.
The results arrived after a long slide. SK Hynix closed at 1.277 million won on October 23, about 57% below its 52-week high.
Wednesday’s rebound was broad. Samsung Electronics rose 6.98% from Tuesday’s close, while the KOSPI gained 4.94% to 5,916.72.
Beyond the quarter, SK Hynix used its results to make a longer call on memory supply.
Why SK Hynix Is Betting on a Shortage Until 2030
In its release, SK Hynix said it expects memory demand to keep outpacing supply until 2030. It pointed to two limits on supply.
- Leading-edge chips are technically difficult to make.
- New factories take a long time to build.
On the demand side, the company expects AI spending to spread beyond a small group of large firms. It sees ordinary businesses and national projects joining them.
The company has also signed long-term agreements (LTAs) with 14 major customers. Those deals cover more than 50% of its production capacity for 2027 and 2028.
Contract prices track the market, but only within ranges agreed with each customer. SK Hynix says the setup protects profitability while leaving room to adjust.
The remaining capacity, less than half, sits outside those agreements. A demand slowdown could therefore still reach earnings.
Alongside the outlook, the company plans about 100 trillion won in shareholder returns for 2026. That includes a 14 trillion won third-quarter dividend, partly funded by gains on its investment in Japanese chipmaker Kioxia.
It also approved a new 20 trillion won buyback. About half will go toward employee compensation and is not counted in the 100 trillion won total.
Samsung reports full third-quarter results on Thursday. Its 2027 outlook will show whether SK Hynix’s main rival expects the same shortage.
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