SK Hynix Kicks Off HBM4 Volume Shipments as Analysts Split on the Road Ahead
Published on 10/11/2026 at 04:50 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Shares of SK Hynix slipped 2.4% on Friday to close at KRW 1,681,000, caught in a broad technology-sector downdraft driven by rising government bond yields and firmer oil prices that weighed on chipmakers across the board. The pullback does little to dent a remarkable run: the South Korean memory giant is still up 159% year to date, a surge built on months of insatiable demand for high-performance memory used in data centers and artificial intelligence workloads.
HBM4 Deliveries Begin, Long-Term Deals Signed
On the product front, the company is pressing ahead with its next memory generation. According to South Korean outlet Aju Press, SK Hynix started mass shipments of HBM4 in the second quarter and has wrapped up long-term supply negotiations with roughly ten customers. The report pointed to a persistently tight supply picture in the memory market and predicted rising prices across the sector.
The company is also putting its components through their paces under extreme conditions. DRAM and UFS memory products launched aboard a South Korean satellite reached Earth orbit on Thursday, carried aloft by the fifth flight of the country's homegrown Nuri rocket.
Solidigm Speculation Meets a Firm Denial
Corporate politics have added another layer of intrigue. SK Hynix moved to quash talk of near-term capital changes at its subsidiary Solidigm, stating on October 1 that no decisions have been made regarding capital plans or external financing for the unit. Every conceivable option, the company said, will be weighed against its impact on existing shareholders and long-term corporate value. Media reports suggesting Solidigm had mandated a consortium around Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for a US IPO went unconfirmed by SK Hynix.
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Meanwhile, the NAND subsidiary is broadening its manufacturing footprint in Taiwan, with media reports indicating the expansion is aimed at serving growing demand for data-center SSDs within the AI supply chain.
Buyback Rolls On as Analysts Diverge
SK Hynix is making swift progress on its sizable share repurchase program, running capital measures in parallel with the capacity build-out in high-performance memory — all while competition for market share and skilled talent in the memory sector shows no sign of cooling.
Ahead of third-quarter 2026 results, the analyst community is sending mixed signals. On Wednesday, IBK Investment & Securities reiterated its buy rating with a price target of KRW 4 million, citing sustained AI memory demand against limited supply growth. The brokerage projected quarterly revenue of KRW 95.8 trillion and operating profit of KRW 75.1 trillion.
Bernstein took a more cautious line. Analyst Mark Li trimmed his target to KRW 2.7 million from KRW 3.3 million on September 29 while keeping an "Outperform" rating, pointing to more conservative assumptions on HBM pricing, expected market-share gains by rival Samsung, and reported supply difficulties with the coming HBM4 generation.
Talent Drain to China Draws Political Scrutiny
A report out of South Korean politics added fresh attention on Tuesday. According to the office of lawmaker Choi Soo-jin, 27 former employees of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have moved to Chinese memory chipmaker CXMT — among them eight ex-SK Hynix staffers, with four others having worked at both Korean semiconductor giants during their careers.
In the market for the company's depositary receipts, the recent expiry of a lockup period, profit-taking ahead of quarterly earnings, and weaker preliminary data from competitors have all combined to pressure the stock.
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SK Hynix Stock: New Analysis - 11 October
Fresh SK Hynix information released. What's the impact for investors? Our latest independent report examines recent figures and market trends.
