The logo of SK hynix is displayed on a glass wall during the World IT Show 2026 in Seoul on April 22, 2026.
Jung Yeon-je | Afp | Getty Images
Shares of SK Hynix jumped 11% on Wednesday, pushing the South Korean chipmaker’s market capitalization above $1 trillion as investors continued to pile into artificial intelligence-related semiconductor stocks.
The rally extended a meteoric run that has seen SK Hynix shares skyrocket about 250% since the start of the year, fueled by growing demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI servers and accelerators.
The company has become a key supplier to the AI chip giant. Nvidiathereby consolidating its position at the center of the global AI supply chain.
SK Hynix pared gains to close 9.21% higher, while Samsung Electronics finished 2.68% higher.
The rally comes just weeks after that of domestic rival Samsung Electronics. also crossed the $1,000 billion mark in market capitalization.
The two chipmakers represent more than 40% of South Korea’s benchmark Kospihighlighting how the index’s performance is now tied to global demand for AI-related semiconductors and memory chips.
The Kospi index has almost doubled since the start of the year, according to LSEG data.
Analysts warned that concentration could increase market volatility and leave the benchmark more exposed to risks, including supply chain disruptions and a slowdown in global data center investment.
SK Hynix’s rally may still have room to run, according to Peter Kim, global investment strategist at KB Financial Group. He pointed out that earnings improvements even outpace the stock’s runaway gains.
“The fundamentals and valuations of the two twin towers… are still very much intact,” Kim said, referring to SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics.
He said SK Hynix’s valuation had become “cheaper” as analysts raised their profit forecasts faster than stock prices rose.
