SK Hynix Tops Samsung with KRW2,080 Trillion Cap, Secures 61% HBM Market
NVDA•SK Hynix surpassed Samsung with a KRW2,080.4 trillion market cap after shares rose 5.6%, reflecting its 61% global HBM chip market share that supplies Nvidia’s AI data center products. The memory maker swung from a KRW7.73 trillion loss in 2023 to a record KRW23.5 trillion operating profit in 2024, underpinning Nvidia’s chip performance outlook.
1. SK Hynix Tops Samsung in Market Value
SK Hynix overtook Samsung Electronics to become South Korea’s most valuable listed company for the first time in 26 years, with shares up 5.6% and a closing market cap of KRW2,080.4 trillion versus Samsung’s KRW2,066.7 trillion in common shares.
2. Dominance in HBM Chips for Nvidia AI
The company captured a 61% share of the global high-bandwidth memory market in 2025, compared with Micron’s 21% and Samsung’s 17%, making SK Hynix the primary supplier of HBM chips for Nvidia’s AI data center customers.
3. Financial Turnaround Boosts Production
After posting a KRW7.73 trillion operating loss in 2023 during a memory-price slump, SK Hynix swung to a record KRW23.5 trillion profit in 2024 thanks to surging AI investment and higher-margin HBM sales.
4. Implications for Nvidia’s AI Systems
With a U.S. ADR listing expected on Nasdaq as soon as August, SK Hynix’s expanded access to capital and increased production capacity should alleviate Nvidia’s memory supply constraints and support higher AI system shipments.
