SK Hynix Hits Record High Stock Price on Strong Q1 Profit Forecast

SK Hynix's stock price has shattered its all-time high following forecasts that it will achieve an operating profit of 40 trillion won in the first quarter of this year. This surge is attributed to heightened expectations for the company's performance.

SK Hynix reported first-quarter revenue of 53.6 trillion won and an operating profit of 40.2 trillion won. Lee Jong-wook, an analyst at Samsung Securities, presented these figures, citing a 95% increase in commodity DRAM prices and a 60% surge in Blended ASP (Average Selling Price) during the first quarter as the basis for his projection.

On the KOSPI on the 21st, SK Hynix traded at 1,211,000 won, up 45,000 won (3.86%) from the previous trading day. The stock price climbed to 1,217,000 won intraday, setting a new all-time high since its listing. Samsung Securities raised its target price for SK Hynix from the previous 1.3 million won to 1.8 million won.

SK Hynix's full-year operating profit forecast for this year has been revised upward to 205.4 trillion won, and is projected to reach 232 trillion won by 2027. An analysis suggests a qualitative shift in memory demand, with server clients like Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) treating DRAM as long-term capital expenditure (Capex) rather than a price-sensitive material cost. Consequently, the competitive axis of the DRAM industry has shifted from price to quality.