Seoul, February 8, 2026, 09:10 (KST) — The market is now closed.
SK hynix Inc (000660.KS) slipped 0.36% to finish Friday at 839,000 won, with shares moving in a band from 791,000 to 850,000 won. No trading on Sunday in Seoul; the chipmaker picks up again when the market opens Monday. 1
The end-of-week slide is notable—Korea’s chip names have become a go-to signal for global tech risk, and nerves are running high. On Friday, the KOSPI shed 1.4%, capping the week off 2.6% and breaking a six-week rally. Samsung Electronics and SK hynix both slipped roughly 0.4%. 2
The AI trade isn’t chasing everything anymore. South Korea stands out for its “memory” play—KOSPI has climbed 20.8% for the year so far, with SK hynix jumping 29% as of Friday. Investors are getting sharper, separating out suppliers fueling the data-center surge from companies facing disruption. 3
The split is especially clear in memory pricing. DRAM — the dynamic random access memory powering smartphones and PCs — keeps getting squeezed as AI infrastructure projects soak up available supply and push prices higher. Device makers now face a tough call: pass those costs along, or take the margin hit. Apple CEO Tim Cook has warned that memory chip prices are on track for a steep jump. Analyst Gadjo Sevilla at Emarketer noted he’s “observing Apple and Samsung” for cues that could ripple through the sector. 4
Despite choppy action, the macro setup keeps lending a hand. Global chip sales are now on track to reach $1 trillion this year, the Semiconductor Industry Association said, following $791.7 billion logged in 2025. Memory chips surged, up 34.8% to $223.1 billion last year. “My orders are completely full,” SIA’s John Neuffer said, a nod to the still-hot demand. 5
SK hynix knows this drill: when supply is tight, contract prices get a lift, but pricier parts can just as quickly slam the brakes on demand. High-bandwidth memory — HBM, that’s stacked DRAM built for AI chips — is right at the lucrative tip of that cycle.
But tech positioning can unwind fast. Should big tech start pulling back on data-centre outlays, or if buyers balk at DRAM price increases, pricing power fades—and the stock could quickly lose ground.
Eyes are on Seoul’s open: Will global tech’s dip pause, or start to snowball? Updates on memory supplies—and the speed at which Apple and competitors push higher costs onto buyers—could hit the sector fast.
SK hynix heads toward its ex-dividend date on Feb. 26, with market data pointing to a cash payout of 1,875 won per share. 6
Next up: South Korea’s market opens its doors again Monday, Feb. 9. SK hynix will be watching global tech sentiment closely — the company’s direction hinges on whether risk appetite shifts.
