KRX:000660 18 January 2026 - 9 May 2026

SK hynix Inc. is fielding a flood of investment proposals from heavyweight tech companies eager to secure access to its next-generation memory chip lines, sources close to the discussions told Reuters. These global players are pitching in funds for new production capacity and equipment, as AI-driven demand heats up and memory chips become a pinch point in the tech supply chain. No routine back-and-forth here. Memory chips, which used to be just another cyclical commodity, have turned into a critical AI data center bottleneck. High-bandwidth memory—HBM—stacks DRAM chips, letting information zip between memory and AI processors at far higher speeds. SK hynix is among the rare companies that can deliver HBM at the volumes AI leaders need.

On Friday, South Korea’s KOSPI barely budged, finishing almost flat, though over the past week it still sank roughly 10.6% from Feb. 27—one of the sharpest drops in its history. The KOSDAQ, which tracks smaller tech and biotech names, closed the day at 1,154.67, eking out a gain for Friday but holding about 3.2% below where it stood a week ago. The swing hits hard here, with Seoul’s market barely over 6,000 after smashing through that barrier for the first time on Feb. 25, powered by chipmakers riding the artificial intelligence surge. Just a week ago, the rally looked relentless. Now, the KOSPI’s vulnerability to oil jumps and heavy foreign bets is hard to miss.

Seoul, Feb 1, 2026, 00:38 KST — Market closed SK hynix shares ended the last session at 909,000 won, up 5.57%, for their first close above the 900,000-won mark, after hitting an intraday high of 931,000 won. Seoul Economic Daily said the move was drawing fresh overseas retail attention, with investors swapping tips online on how to access the Korea-listed stock.

South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI topped 5,000 points for the first time on Thursday, rising as much as 2.2% to 5,019.54. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix led the move, while Hyundai Motor traded at a record. “The bullish market trend this time is a fundamentals-driven one based on earnings growth,” said Kim Jae-seung, an analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities. The index is up about 19% so far this month after a 76% jump in 2025 — its biggest annual gain since 1999 — and the run has become a political and market marker for President Lee Jae Myung’s “KOSPI 5,000” pledge. Lee has pushed tax and market measures aimed at narrowing the “Korea discount”, the tendency for local stocks to trade at lower valuations than overseas peers, often blamed on weak governance and low dividends.