SK Hynix Achieves W1 Quadrillion Market Cap as Kospi Surges on Semiconductor Rally
Seoul’s benchmark Kospi index soared past the 6,900 mark, achieving a historic first on Monday. This monumental surge was primarily driven by an unprecedented rally in semiconductor stocks, culminating in SK Hynix’s market capitalization exceeding a staggering 1 quadrillion won ($680.1 billion).
The upward momentum was palpable from the opening bell, as the Kospi commenced trading 2.79 percent higher at 6,782.93. It swiftly eclipsed Friday’s intraday high, demonstrating robust investor confidence in the Korean stock market. Within hours, the index had surged over 100 points, hitting an intraday peak of 6,922.72 – a remarkable 65 percent increase from its 4,214 closing level at the end of last year.
Fueling this investor appetite were robust gains observed in US technology stocks over Korea’s Labor Day long weekend. Major indices like the S&P 500, Nasdaq, and the PHLX Semiconductor Index all extended their rallies, propelled by strong corporate earnings reports, creating a positive global market sentiment.
Significantly, foreign investors led the market’s ascent with net purchases totaling 2.9 trillion won by midafternoon, closely followed by institutional investors who added 1.6 trillion won. Conversely, retail investors took profits, offloading 4.4 trillion won worth of shares amidst the sharp rise.
The core drivers of this unprecedented surge were Korea’s semiconductor heavyweights. SK Hynix, a leading global memory chip supplier, saw its stock price jump by as much as 12.2 percent from Friday, reaching 1,444,000 won. This propelled its market capitalization beyond 1 quadrillion won for the very first time, making it only the second Korean company, after industry titan Samsung Electronics, to achieve such a monumental financial milestone.
Samsung Electronics, another semiconductor giant, also achieved record highs, with its shares climbing up to 4.8 percent intraday to 231,000 won. This marked the first time the company’s stock crossed the significant 230,000 won threshold.
Even SK Square, the largest shareholder of SK Hynix, experienced a significant surge, momentarily jumping over 18 percent to a peak of 996,000 won before consolidating some gains.
These two Korean chip giants have undeniably been at the forefront of the Kospi’s impressive rally throughout the current year. Since the close of 2025, Samsung Electronics’ shares have appreciated by 93 percent, while SK Hynix has seen an even more dramatic surge of 122 percent, highlighting their market leadership.
Despite these substantial gains, market expectations for the semiconductor sector remain overwhelmingly bullish. This optimism is robustly supported by the ongoing global semiconductor upcycle and the relentless, sustained investments in artificial intelligence (AI) by leading US technology companies, promising continued growth.
Both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have already announced stellar record earnings for the first quarter. Samsung Electronics reported an impressive revenue of 133.9 trillion won and an operating profit of 57.2 trillion won. Similarly, SK Hynix’s strong performance was evident with revenue of 52.6 trillion won and an operating profit of 37.6 trillion won, largely propelled by the booming demand for high-performance, AI-related memory products.
Industry analysts widely anticipate this robust momentum to extend into the second quarter. Eugene Investment & Securities, for instance, has projected SK Hynix’s revenue and operating profit to climb even further to 82.3 trillion won and 63.7 trillion won, respectively, and has set an ambitious target price of 2.3 million won for the stock.
Similarly, numerous brokerages have significantly raised their outlook and target prices for Samsung Electronics. Daol Investment & Securities, notably, set the highest target price at 390,000 won on the same day, reflecting strong confidence in its future performance.
Son In-jun, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities, highlighted the critical market dynamics: “Server memory demand in 2027 is forecast to expand by at least 60 percent in bit terms. This robust growth trajectory strongly suggests that supply shortages will intensify, even when considering current demand projections.” He added, “Consequently, leading memory makers are strategically selecting key customers and entering into long-term supply agreements under highly favorable terms, which include crucial minimum price guarantees, securing their market position.”
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