Overview
- SK hynix reported record third-quarter revenue and operating profit on Wednesday, Oct. 28, with revenue of about 104.6 trillion won and operating profit of about 83.3 trillion won driven by AI-focused HBM and DRAM sales.
- SK hynix said DRAM and HBM volumes through 2029 are effectively sold out and that HBM demand currently exceeds supply by roughly twofold, and it warned shortages could persist into 2030.
- Samsung posted a record Q3 operating profit of about 107.4 trillion won on Thursday, Oct. 29, and said its HBM allocations for 2027 are already contracted under long-term deals with major customers.
- Both companies announced very large shareholder-return plans funded in part by one-off investment gains and higher margins, with SK hynix pledging over 100 trillion won for 2026 and Samsung detailing roughly 90–110 trillion won in total returns including a 30 trillion won cash dividend.
- Corporate moves are shifting with the cycle: SK hynix paused a planned Solidigm IPO to balance capital and returns, Hanwha Systems booked an accounting loss tied to selling Philly Shipyard, and tight HBM production will keep pressure on device makers and cloud operators as fabs take years to expand capacity.