SK Hynix Q1 Profit Surges Over 400% to $25.4B as AI Chip Demand Drives Record Performance

Gate News message, April 23 — SK Hynix reported a strong first quarter on Thursday, with net profit jumping over 400% to $25.4 billion and revenue surging 198% to $35.55 billion. The March quarter marked the first time the South Korean chipmaker exceeded 50 trillion won in quarterly revenue, with sales nearly tripling year-over-year. Operating profit rose five times compared to the same period last year and nearly doubled sequentially, while operating margin hit a record 72%. The stock initially jumped 3.6% in early trading before closing down 0.9%.

Strong memory chip prices and accelerating AI infrastructure investments drove the quarter’s performance. SK Hynix is the leading supplier of HBM (high-bandwidth memory), critical components for AI data centers. The company noted that despite Q1 typically being a seasonal downturn, “strong demand persisted due to expanded investments in AI infrastructure.” As artificial intelligence expands beyond model training into agentic AI applications requiring real-time inference, demand for memory is expected to remain robust.

SK Hynix holds a 57% market share in the HBM segment and is a key supplier to Nvidia. While Samsung recently reclaimed the top position in overall DRAM (dynamic random access memory) revenue in late 2025, SK Hynix’s early leadership in HBM production and close ties with Nvidia have solidified its competitive advantage. The company plans to begin supplying HBM4E samples in the second half of 2026, with mass production targeted for 2027.

Supply constraints remain a significant challenge. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won stated in March 2026 that the global chip wafer shortage could persist until 2030 as HBM demand continues to outpace supply capacity. To address capacity limits, SK Hynix announced plans to invest 19 trillion won in a new South Korean manufacturing facility. The company has also diversified sourcing for critical materials including helium, bromine, and tungsten, and secured long-term liquefied natural gas agreements to manage energy costs.