Overview
- SK hynix posted record third-quarter results on Wednesday, reporting about 104.6 trillion won in revenue and roughly 83.3 trillion won in operating profit with an operating margin above 80%.
- The board announced roughly 100 trillion won in shareholder returns for 2026, including cash dividends and at least 60 trillion won in buybacks and cancellations tied in part to gains from its Kioxia stake.
- Management said virtually all DRAM and high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) production is booked through 2029 and that long‑term agreements cover a large share of 2027–28 capacity, reducing near‑term supply flexibility.
- SK hynix plans to ramp HBM4 and other advanced DRAM capacity in the fourth quarter to serve AI servers, and it has paused a planned Solidigm U.S. IPO because of market conditions.
- Markets reacted with a sharp rally in chip stocks and South Korea’s KOSPI, triggering a Korea Exchange buy‑side sidecar as investors priced tighter memory supply and higher data‑center costs into 2027–2030.