Samsung Electronics (005930) and SK Hynix (000660) Stocks Soar After Historic Q1 Results

Key Highlights

• Samsung forecasted Q1 operating profit of approximately 57.2 trillion won ($39B), representing an eight-fold increase year-over-year and exceeding analyst projections.
• Explosive demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and AI-focused data centre semiconductors powered the exceptional performance.
• Samsung shares climbed over 7% to reach 210,500 won during Wednesday trading.
• SK Hynix stock rocketed as high as 15% to 1,050,000 won, significantly outpacing Samsung and the overall market performance.
• Korea Investment & Securities upgraded its SK Hynix annual operating profit forecast by 28% to 216 trillion won, representing over quadruple the 2025 results.

Shares of Samsung Electronics (005930) climbed more than 7% to 210,500 won during Wednesday’s session, while SK Hynix (000660) stock exploded as much as 15% to 1,050,000 won following Samsung’s extraordinary Q1 earnings guidance announcement.

The preliminary earnings report from Samsung revealed operating profit of approximately 57.2 trillion won ($39 billion) during the first quarter ending in March. This represented an eight-fold jump compared to the corresponding period last year and significantly exceeded Wall Street’s consensus forecasts.

The impressive performance was driven by constrained supply combined with escalating prices for high-bandwidth memory semiconductors and additional AI data centre hardware. Samsung’s revenue projections similarly indicated expansion of roughly 68%, highlighting the magnitude of the industry’s recovery following last year’s memory chip slump.

If validated when complete financial results are disclosed, this would establish a new quarterly profit record for Samsung.

SK Hynix, ranked as the globe’s second-largest memory semiconductor manufacturer, did not publish its own first-quarter results on Wednesday. The company’s earnings announcement is scheduled for later this month. However, Samsung’s exceptional performance was sufficient to propel SK Hynix shares substantially higher, as market participants anticipate comparable positive momentum in its upcoming report.

SK Hynix stock peaked at 1,050,000 won during the session, reflecting a 15% daily increase — surpassing Samsung’s 8.7% advance and the wider KOSPI index, which itself climbed approximately 7%.

Wall Street Forecasts Revised Upward

Korea Investment & Securities responded swiftly to the announcement. The brokerage elevated its annual operating profit projection for SK Hynix by 28%, now anticipating 216 trillion won ($146.55 billion). This figure would represent more than quadruple SK Hynix’s reported 2025 performance, and incorporates more robust-than-anticipated pricing gains across both DRAM and NAND semiconductor segments.

The revised forecast illustrates how dramatically market perception has transformed within the memory semiconductor industry. Previous anxieties regarding excess supply have been displaced by an environment characterized by rising chip valuations, supply limitations, and persistent demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure initiatives.

Both Samsung and SK Hynix are capitalizing on the identical fundamental catalyst: the accelerated expansion of AI-powered data centres by leading technology corporations, which necessitates substantial quantities of high-bandwidth memory and sophisticated logic semiconductors.

HBM Technology Takes Center Stage

High-bandwidth memory has emerged as the critical competitive arena within the AI semiconductor marketplace. HBM technology is essential for AI accelerator chips — such as those manufactured by Nvidia — and production capacity has failed to match the dramatic surge in customer orders since the final months of 2023.

Samsung’s first-quarter performance indicates the company has secured substantial market share gains in this segment. The corporation had previously encountered scrutiny regarding its HBM production yields, but a historic quarterly profit demonstrates improved operational execution.

SK Hynix has maintained a dominant position in HBM technology and is commonly recognized as Nvidia’s principal supplier. Wednesday’s stock performance reflected investor conviction that its forthcoming Q1 announcement will reveal comparable strength.

The KOSPI index’s 7% rally during the trading session also demonstrated that Samsung’s earnings surprise elevated overall market confidence throughout South Korea, extending beyond the two semiconductor manufacturers directly involved.

SK Hynix is anticipated to disclose its January-March financial performance later during April.

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