SK Hynix stock achieved a new record high on Tuesday, fueled by heightened investor optimism surrounding an anticipated robust first-quarter earnings report.
The semiconductor giant’s shares soared by 7.98 percent, reaching 1.123 million won by 10:27 a.m. This impressive gain pushed the stock past its prior intraday peak of 1.099 million won, recorded on February 26, signaling strong market confidence.
Ahead of SK Hynix’s preliminary first-quarter earnings release, slated for April 23, investor sentiment has notably solidified, pointing to positive market expectations for the memory chip maker.
Data from Infomax reveals that the market consensus anticipates SK Hynix’s first-quarter operating profit to reach 3.85 trillion won, marking a staggering 418 percent year-over-year increase. Several leading brokerages are even projecting earnings to surpass the 4 trillion won threshold, further driving enthusiasm.
Among these optimistic forecasts, Kiwoom Securities estimated an operating profit of 4.03 trillion won, with Heungkuk Securities and KB Securities similarly projecting 4.01 trillion won and 4.08 trillion won, respectively, underscoring broad agreement on strong performance.
In anticipation of the robust earnings report, numerous brokerages have proactively adjusted their target prices for SK Hynix upwards.
Notably, Kim Dong-won, Head of Research at KB Securities, elevated his target price for SK Hynix from 1.7 million won to 1.9 million won. He also significantly increased his operating profit forecasts for the current and upcoming years by 42 percent and 55 percent, respectively, reflecting a highly positive outlook for the company’s financial trajectory.
Chae Min-sook, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities, highlighted that surging memory chip prices are poised to be a primary driver of enhanced profitability for SK Hynix. She projected the company’s operating margin could achieve an unprecedented 73.2 percent this year. Furthermore, Chae noted that NAND profitability is anticipated to potentially outperform High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) starting from the second quarter, indicating a broader recovery across memory segments.
Meanwhile, Lee Soo-rim, an analyst at DS Investment & Securities, emphasized the stabilizing effect of long-term supply contracts on memory chip pricing. These contracts are instrumental in establishing a more predictable revenue stream for manufacturers.
Lee elaborated, stating, “Contract prices, more than volatile spot prices, are the true determinant of the memory industry’s profitability.” She further forecasted a sustained “price upcycle” for the sector, which is expected to extend robustly through the fourth quarter of 2026, pointing to a prolonged period of favorable market conditions for SK Hynix and its peers.
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