Seoul, Jan 25, 2026, 08:39 (KST) — Market closed.
- SK hynix shares ended Friday up 1.59% at 767,000 won, outpacing some other large Kospi names.
- Focus turns to the company’s Jan. 29 earnings for updates on AI-linked memory demand.
- Fresh reports on China-related Nvidia H200 buying plans are stoking debate over how tight HBM supply really is.
SK hynix Inc (000660.KS) closed Friday up 1.59% at 767,000 won, as the Kospi ended at a fresh peak just shy of 5,000. “Foreign investors locked in profits, particularly in auto stocks,” said Lee Kyung-min, an analyst at Daishin Securities. Korea Joongang Daily
The Seoul-listed chipmaker is about 3% below its 52-week high of 788,000 won after trading between 744,000 and 776,000 in the last session, with a previous close of 755,000 won. Data on Investing.com show the next earnings report is due on Jan. 29. Investing.com
Trading in Seoul is shut this weekend, giving investors time to weigh the rally before Monday’s open. The earnings should put high-bandwidth memory, or HBM — stacks of DRAM chips that feed AI processors fast — back in the spotlight.
Bloomberg reported this week that improving memory demand has helped lift SK hynix and bigger rival Samsung Electronics, with both and U.S. peer Micron racing to add capacity for HBM used in artificial-intelligence accelerators. SK hynix is a key supplier to Nvidia, the report said. Bloomberg.com
Seoul Economic Daily added another layer on Saturday, saying Chinese regulators had given preliminary approval for major firms including Alibaba and Tencent to prepare for Nvidia H200 purchases. The paper said initial orders could run to about 600,000 units and deepen the HBM squeeze, while leaving room for Samsung if SK hynix capacity is already sold out for the year. Seoul Economic Daily
SK hynix is also trying to shape the story. BusinessKorea reported the company will publish a book on its HBM push on Jan. 26, quoting SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won as saying: “Explaining HBM without AI is meaningless.” Businesskorea
The stock has ridden a broader rerating of Korea’s chipmakers, but Friday’s tape looked more like rotation than a clean risk-off move. Samsung Electronics dipped 0.13% on the day, while SK hynix still managed to add to gains.
But the same tight-supply story that powered the rally can cut both ways: if SK hynix signals it cannot ship much more HBM near-term, or flags higher spending to chase demand, the market may question how much of 2026 is already priced in. Any fresh turn in U.S.-China tech curbs would also hit the same supply chain.
For now, the next clear catalyst is Thursday’s earnings on Jan. 29, with investors watching for guidance on HBM shipments, pricing and customer demand. Until then, SK hynix will likely trade on AI-server headlines — and whether the latest China demand stories turn into firm orders.
