SK Hynix Nears $1T Market Cap on AI Demand

SK Hynix, a leading South Korean memory chipmaker, is nearing a 1 trillion dollar market capitalization, with its value standing at approximately 948 billion dollars as of Wednesday's close. The surge positions the company to potentially follow Samsung Electronics across the milestone, making South Korea the first nation outside the United States to host two such companies simultaneously.

The company's shares have climbed more than 200 percent this year, building on a 274 percent gain in 2025. This performance has propelled SK Hynix from a valuation below 100 billion dollars just 16 months ago to rivaling the market caps of companies like Walmart and Berkshire Hathaway. The rally stems from explosive demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI servers and data centers. SK Hynix holds the position of the world's largest supplier of these chips, serving major clients including Nvidia and Apple.

First-quarter results underscored the momentum, with revenue reaching a record 50 trillion won, nearly tripling year over year, and operating profit hitting 37.6 trillion won at a 72 percent margin. Analysts anticipate further strength, driven by rising prices for DRAM and...