Amid the generative AI boom and the resulting surge in HBM demand, South Korean semiconductor maker SK hynix overcame its history of being on the brink of a sale and transformed into one of the world's leading profit-generating companies. Its 2026 performance and listing developments are in focus.
Demand for HBM memory supporting generative AI computing is expanding, and SK hynix, part of the SK Group, maintains a position among the global leaders in HBM market share. The article reports that the generative AI boom is providing a tailwind for the company and strengthening its current earnings power.
After being acquired by the SK Group for approximately $3 billion in 2012 and changing its name to SK hynix, the company was long regarded as the second-largest player in the memory market. It has since built up a track record and raised its profile in the South Korean economy.
Operating profit reached approximately ¥6.8 trillion in the April–June quarter of 2026. Its market capitalization reached $1 trillion for the first time in May 2025, and it is said to have raised approximately $26.5 billion through an ADR listing in the United States in July. The share price also temporarily declined on the day record earnings were announced.
In the past, there was a period when the company was at risk of being sold to Micron in the United States in 2002. The negotiations broke down, and the company was placed under the control of its creditors. It has since entered its current growth trajectory following this turning point.