Latest news with #SKhynixInc.
Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
SK hynix's US sales make up over 70% in Q1 on rising AI demand
Chip giant SK hynix Inc. has reported that its US sales accounted for over 70 percent of its total revenue in the first quarter on rising demand for premium high bandwidth memory chips from major US tech companies. According to the company's financial report released Thursday, revenues in the United States totaled 12.8 trillion won ($9.1 billion) in the first quarter, representing 72 percent of the company's total quarterly sales of 17.6 trillion won. Its US sales amounted to 6.3 trillion won a year ago, accounting for a 50 percent portion. The sharp rise is attributable to increasing sales of artificial intelligence products, including HBM and enterprise solid state drives, in the US SK hynix, a global leader in the HBM market, has already sold out this year's HBM production, supplying its 12-layer HBM3E product to major customers, including Nvidia Corp. Meanwhile, sales in China dropped to 2.7 trillion won, accounting for 15 percent of quarterly revenue, down from 18 percent in the same period last year. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
14-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
SK hynix named top firm in business evaluation rankings
South Korean chip giant SK hynix Inc. has been ranked the top company in terms of investment and business performance among the country's 268 major companies, a market tracker said Wednesday. SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, received 622.9 points out of the full 800 in a business evaluation that assessed eight categories, including global competitiveness, job creation and social contributions, according to CEO Score. Last year, Hyundai Motor Co. topped the list, while SK hynix failed to break into the top 10 due to a downturn in the semiconductor industry. This year, SK hynix earned high marks for rapid growth, investment and global competitiveness. Its bigger rival, Samsung Electronics Co., came in second with 596 points, followed by Samsung Biologics Co. with 590 points, Kia Corp. 572.7 points and Hyundai Motor 559.5 points. In the January-March period, SK hynix's sales jumped 42 percent on-year to 17.64 trillion won ($12.4 billion), while Samsung Electronics' rose 10 percent to 79.14 trillion won. Other companies in the top 10 included online portal operator Naver Corp., tobacco firm KT&G Corp., biopharmaceutical company Celltrion Inc., Samsung C&T Corp. and Hankook Tire & Technology Co. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
S. Korean chip industry wary despite exemption from US reciprocal tariff
With US President Donald Trump's announcement of a 25 percent tariff on South Korean imports, South Korea's semiconductor industry let out a sigh of relief Thursday for being excluded but remained cautious as sector-specific tariffs loomed near. The White House on Wednesday said some goods, including semiconductors, steel and automobiles, would not be subject to the new tariff plans, imposing a minimum 10 percent "baseline" tariff on exports from all countries to the United States and country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs that include 25 percent duties for South Korea. Industry officials remained vigilant as the US administration has signaled separate sector-specific duties for those items. South Korea's leading chipmakers, Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc., have not issued official statements, but they are actively discussing strategies to mitigate risks from any future trade policies. "There are still uncertainties," said an official from a South Korean semiconductor company, who asked not to be identified. "The global semiconductor value chain is highly complex, and major US tech companies play a central role. The US government may need more time to picture details." Already, 25 percent tariffs on imported cars and key auto parts were set to take effect Thursday, potentially impacting all related industries. Experts suggest that South Korean firms may need to strengthen their US production strategies to align with Trump's push for domestic job creation. "Trump continues to pressure foreign companies to establish manufacturing facilities in the United States and create jobs," said Kim Dae-jong, a professor at Sejong University. Adding to concerns, Trump's has also expressed skepticism toward providing subsidies under the US CHIPS Act. Samsung Electronics signed a deal last year to receive a $4.7 billion subsidy from the US Department of Commerce for its $37 billion investment in Texas, while SK hynix is set to receive $458 million in subsidies for its investment in Indiana, both under the CHIPS Act. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
26-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Combined operating profit of top 500 firms jumps 66% in 2024, mainly on chip boom
The combined operating profit of South Korea's top 500 companies surged 66 percent from a year earlier in 2024, driven largely by a rebound in the global semiconductor market, a report showed Wednesday. According to the report from corporate tracker CEO Score, the total operating profit of the top 500 firms reached 183.7 trillion won ($125.3 billion) in 2024, up from 110.6 trillion won the previous year. The companies' combined annual sales rose 5.8 percent to 2,523 trillion won from 2,384 trillion won in 2023. Net profit jumped 74.5 percent over the same period. The sharp rise in operating profit was led mainly by the strong performance from chipmakers SK hynix Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. amid robust demand for artificial intelligence memory products. SK hynix recorded the largest growth, swinging to an operating profit of 23.5 trillion won from a 7.7 trillion-won loss in 2023, marking a gain of over 31.2 trillion won. The company benefited from soaring demand for high bandwidth memory, a key component for AI semiconductors. Samsung Electronics posted the second-largest increase, with its operating profit rising by 26.2 trillion won on the back of improved business conditions in the sector, according to CEO Score. Other major contributors to the combined operating profit growth included Korea Electric Power Corp., whose profit increased by 12.9 trillion won, followed by HMM Co. with a 2.9 trillion-won rise, LG Display Co. with 1.9 trillion won and Korea Gas Corp. with 1.5 trillion won. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
21-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung says 'stakes are high' in AI evolution
Kwak Noh-jung, chief executive officer of SK hynix Inc., has emphasized the critical role of South Korea's semiconductor industry, saying "stakes are high" in the face of rapidly evolving artificial intelligence. "Reflecting on my time at Semicon Korea 2025, I'm reminded of the immense responsibility we carry as an industry," Kwak wrote on his LinkedIn account Thursday. "As AI continues to evolve, it's evident that the stakes are higher than ever." The posting came after Kwak highlighted the "crucial role" of semiconductors in global economies and national security in a speech delivered Wednesday at a leadership dinner of Semicon Korea 2025, an annual trade show that kicked off earlier that day in Seoul, bringing together some 500 global chipmakers, equipment providers and material suppliers. During the event, Kwak has met with industry leaders, including Luc Van den hove, CEO of imec, a European chip research center, and Dirk Beljaarts, the Netherlands' minister of economic affairs. "South Korea experienced an unprecedented downturn and is now facing a big wave drive by the rise of AI," he told reporters after the leadership dinner. "I think South Korea will get on the wave well." Under Kwak's leadership, SK hynix has successfully capitalized on the AI boom, particularly with its high bandwidth memory, a key component for graphic processing units. The chip giant has played a pivotal role in the HBM-GPU supply chain led by Nvidia Corp. and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. (Yonhap)
