Shares of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix Inc surged to record highs on Thursday, propelled by positive momentum following Nvidia’s strong quarterly earnings report and ongoing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Samsung Electronics rose over 5% to 217,500 won, whereas SK Hynix gained more than 2% to 1,053,500 won, lifting South Korea’s KOSPI index by over 2% to an all-time high.
The gains reflect investor confidence in the sustained growth of the semiconductor sector, particularly concerning high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. Both Samsung and SK Hynix are key suppliers of HBM chips to Nvidia, the world’s most valuable semiconductor company, and benefit directly from the robust demand for advanced AI chips and data center solutions.
Nvidia’s recent earnings exceeded market forecasts, with optimistic guidance for the current quarter, further bolstering the outlook for its suppliers. This comes as OpenAI, through its $500 billion Stargate initiative, is partnering with South Korean tech giants, including Samsung and SK Hynix, to source cutting-edge memory chips and develop AI data centers within the country. Agreements with OpenAI, formalized through letters of intent and memorandums of understanding, center on providing these critical components.
SK Hynix announced a partnership with SanDisk to develop high bandwidth flash memory, a next-generation storage architecture anticipated to be crucial for AI infrastructure and high-performance computing. The company similarly revealed plans to invest 21.6 trillion won (approximately $15 billion) in a new production facility in Yongin, demonstrating a commitment to expanding its semiconductor manufacturing capacity.
Samsung Electronics, in addition to its role as a memory chip supplier, recently launched its Galaxy S26 smartphone series, diversifying its revenue streams across consumer electronics and mobile devices. The company is reportedly close to securing an exclusive agreement to provide advanced HBM chips for Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin GPUs, a development that could further solidify its position in the AI semiconductor market.
In January 2026, SK Hynix surpassed Samsung Electronics in annual profits for the first time ever, largely attributed to its leading position in AI-related memory products. This shift in profitability underscores the growing importance of the AI chip market and the competitive landscape within the semiconductor industry.
