SK Hynix Q2 2026 Record Profit Driven by AI Memory Demand

South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix reported record-breaking financial results for the second quarter of 2026, driven by soaring demand for memory chips used in artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company announced on July 29 that its operating profit surged to 60.54 trillion won ($41.6 billion), a more than sixfold increase compared to the same period last year. Revenue jumped 257 percent year-over-year to 79.32 trillion won, while net profit soared to 93.92 trillion won.

Despite the historic performance, the results fell short of analyst expectations. Revenue missed forecasts of 84 trillion won, and operating profit was below the anticipated 64 trillion won. Company officials attributed the explosive growth to sustained investment in AI by major cloud service providers, which drove significant price increases for both DRAM and NAND flash memory products. High-value products like high-bandwidth memory (HBM), DRAM for AI servers, and enterprise solid-state drives led the gains.

The quarterly figures marked a new record for the company, surpassing the previous high set just three months earlier in the first quarter. For the first half of 2026, SK Hynix surpassed 100 trillion...