SK Hynix posts record first-quarter profit, in line with estimates as memory prices climb

South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix posted another quarter of record profits and revenue on Thursday, as prices for its products continue to rise amid strong AI demand. While its earnings were generally in line with estimates, its revenues missed estimates.

Here are SK Hynix’s first quarter results against LSEG smart forecasts, weighted by analysts’ forecasts, which are more consistently accurate:

• Revenue: 52.58 trillion won ($35.55 billion) etc. 53.55 trillion won
• Operating profit: 37.61 trillion won etc. 37.92 trillion won

Revenue in the March quarter nearly tripled compared to the same period last year and exceeded 50 trillion won for the first time.

Operating profit increased fivefold compared to the previous year and almost doubled from the previous quarter; Operating profit also reached an all-time high of 72%.

SK Hynix makes memory chips used to store data in everything from servers to smartphones and laptops.

The company has benefited from the boom in AI demand as the world’s leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in AI data centers.

“SK Hynix noted that although the first quarter was typically a seasonal downturn, strong demand continued due to increased investments in AI infrastructure,” the company said in its earnings release. he said.

HBM falls into the broader category of dynamic random access memory, or DRAM (a type of semiconductor memory used to store data and program code that can be found in PCs, workstations, and servers).

SK Hynix had gained an edge in the DRAM market against rivals such as Micron and Samsung thanks to its early leadership in HBM and its role as a major supplier to Nvidia, the world’s leading AI processor manufacturer.

However, Samsung reclaimed the top spot in DRAM revenue in the last three months of the year. data From Counterpoint Research. Meanwhile, SK Hynix maintained its dominance in HBM with a 57% market share.

Counterpoint added that the DRAM market has seen 30% growth compared to the previous quarter for two consecutive quarters due to rising memory prices.

Rising memory prices have been driven by increased demand for HBM, which has overwhelmed manufacturers’ capacity and triggered a wider memory shortage in recent quarters.

SK Group President Chey Tae-won reportedly In March 2026, he stated that global wafer shortages will likely continue until 2030 as demand for HBM continues to exceed supply and strain production capacity.

He added that it could take at least four to five years to build additional wafer supplies and the projected shortfall would exceed 20%.