SEOUL, July 22, 2026, 23:08 KST — SK hynix KRX:000660 is moving faster on AI chip packaging investments after its shares lost a 9% advance posted earlier in the day.
Seoul trading had ended. SK hynix announced plans to speed up work on its Cheongju P&T7 packaging facility. The board approved a budget of 7.0931 trillion won, representing 5.88% of equity.
The ruling is significant given P&T7’s total budget of 19 trillion won, which is close to the 20 trillion won allocated for the neighbouring M15X. Spending on packaging now rivals that of wafer production.
P&T7’s budget amounts to 95% of M15X’s by calculation. The authorization given on Wednesday accounts for 37.3% of the total announced for P&T7. The data positions packaging alongside wafer output as a capital bottleneck.
The company stated there was no change to P&T7’s overall budget. It is accelerating expenditure to make cleanroom capacity available earlier.
The stock ended the session at 1.83 million won, a decline of 0.33%. Earlier, it had risen as high as 2.006 million won, up 9.3%.
The surge came after news regarding an Intel Corp. NASDAQ:INTC location in Ohio. SK hynix stated it had not sought or made a decision on any such acquisition.
SK hynix recorded a more pronounced adjustment over the five-day period.
| Asset | July 22 close | Daily move | Five-day move |
|---|---|---|---|
| SK hynix | 1,830,000 won | -0.33% | -13.68% TradingView |
| Samsung Electronics KRX:005930 | 260,500 won | +0.58% | -6.80% MarketWatch |
| KOSPI | 6,797.70 | +0.74% | -4.03% The Wall Street Journal |
SK hynix posted a loss roughly double the percentage fall seen by Samsung over the week. The decline was also more than triple that of the KOSPI index.
P&T7 is set to handle packaging and testing for HBM along with other AI memory, with SK hynix aiming to finish construction by late 2027.
Earlier this month, Chief Executive Kwak Noh-jung highlighted issues with capacity. “Our customer demand continues to go up, while our capacity has limitations,” he stated. Reuters
The cleanroom at M15X began operations in October 2025, ahead of schedule. According to company information, the facilities are linked from wafer manufacturing to final testing.
Alphabet Inc. NASDAQ:GOOGL will release its results after the U.S. market closes on Wednesday, catching the attention of investors. Market participants are closely monitoring the company’s AI investment plans, which could swiftly alter expectations for memory demand.
SK hynix will announce its second-quarter earnings on July 29 at 09:00 KST. According to a preliminary LSEG SmartEstimate referenced by Reuters, operating profit is estimated at 65.5 trillion won.
The danger is that increased spending could outpace a slower AI investment cycle, resulting in higher fixed costs amid softer memory prices.
The approved capital plan provides investors with a clearer indication. SK hynix now allocates budget for packaging in a manner similar to its wafer fabs.
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