SK Hynix’s AI Memory Supremacy Pushes Valuation Past 1,400 Trillion Won as Samsung Faces Strike Threat
Published on 05/14/2026 at 08:22 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
SK Hynix has vaulted into a new valuation bracket, crossing 1,400 trillion won in market capitalisation for the first time on Wednesday, as the memory-chip maker tightens its grip on the artificial intelligence hardware supply chain. The stock closed at 1,976,000 Korean won, matching its 52-week high, and has surged 188% year-to-date — with some calculations pegging the gain at nearly 193% over the same period. The one-day jump alone added more than 100 trillion won to its market cap.
The rally has brought the company within striking distance of Samsung Electronics, the long-dominant chaebol that now stands at roughly 1,669 trillion won in market value. Industry watchers believe SK Hynix could overtake its larger rival as early as this month if momentum holds. The gap is narrowing fast, and labor strife at Samsung is widening the chasm.
On Wednesday, South Korea’s National Labor Relations Commission halted ongoing wage talks at Samsung Electronics. The company’s union is now threatening an 18-day strike from 21 May to 7 June. Analysts estimate that any wage increase could slice 7% to 12% off Samsung’s operating profit. Beyond the financial hit, the walkout risks delivery delays and eroding customer confidence — a gift for SK Hynix, which is already eating Samsung’s lunch in the most lucrative memory segment.
That segment is High Bandwidth Memory, the specialised chips that feed data into AI accelerators. SK Hynix has secured an exclusive role as the sole supplier of HBM3E memory for Microsoft’s new Maia 200 AI accelerator, a deal cemented during a high-level meeting between CEO Kwak Noh-jung and Satya Nadella at the Microsoft CEO Summit in Redmond. The Microsoft chip integrates six HBM3E stacks from SK Hynix, delivering a massive 216 GB of memory capacity and bandwidth of 7 TB/s — exactly what large language models demand.
Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying SK Hynix?
To extend its lead, SK Hynix is already deep into the next generation. At a TSMC symposium in Taiwan, the two companies unveiled specifications for HBM4 memory, with TSMC set to manufacture the base dies using 5-nm and 12-nm processes. The base chip will no longer be a simple controller; it will handle compute tasks directly, a technical pivot that cements SK Hynix’s roughly 50% global share of HBM supply as the next hardware cycle begins.
Yet the company’s biggest challenge is not competition — it is capacity. Demand for AI-specific DRAM far outstrips what the entire industry can produce. SK Hynix has pulled forward equipment installation at its Cheongju plant by two months, rushing the second clean room into operation. Monthly wafer processing is now ramping quickly toward 30,000 to 50,000 units by year-end, with plans to hit 80,000 units next year.
The market is pricing in that aggressive expansion. Wednesday’s close at 1,976,000 won represents all-time highs on a 52-week basis. The relative strength index stands at nearly 69 — hot, but not yet flashing an overbought warning. With the Cheongju production start accelerated, management has delivered the operational volumes needed to support this valuation.
SK Hynix at a turning point? This analysis reveals what investors need to know now.
For now, SK Hynix looks like the AI memory trade that keeps delivering. Samsung’s looming strike could provide the next catalyst, shoving the valuation gap closer to a full crossover and affirming the pecking order that the AI boom has reshaped.
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SK Hynix Stock: New Analysis - 14 May
Fresh SK Hynix information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends.
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