Seoul: SK hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest memory chipmaker, reported unprecedented sales and profit figures for the third quarter, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence memory chips. The company announced that its net income reached 5.75 trillion won (approximately $4.2 billion), a significant turnaround from a loss of 2.18 trillion won recorded during the same period last year.
According to Yonhap News Agency, SK hynix’s operating income for the July-September quarter was 7.02 trillion won, compared to a loss of 1.79 trillion won a year ago, while sales surged 93.8 percent year-on-year to 17.57 trillion won. These figures mark record highs for the company, surpassing previous records set during the semiconductor super boom in 2018.
The South Korean chipmaker attributed its robust financial performance to the growing demand for AI memory products, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips and embedded solid-state drives (eSSDs). SK hynix highlighted that sales of HBM chips increased by
more than 70 percent from the previous quarter and 330 percent from the same period last year.
SK hynix has established itself as a leader in the global HBM market, supplying key products to Nvidia Corp., a prominent player in the AI semiconductor industry. In March, SK hynix became the first company to deliver eight-layer HBM3E chips to Nvidia and recently began mass production of the world’s first 12-stage HBM3E product.
Looking forward, SK hynix plans to enhance its profitability by focusing on high-value products and meeting the increasing demand for AI chips. The company anticipates that HBM sales, which accounted for 30 percent of its total DRAM revenues in the third quarter, will rise to 40 percent in the fourth quarter. Additionally, SK hynix intends to expand sales of high-capacity eSSDs to capitalize on the growing market demand.
Kim Woo-hyun, vice president and chief financial officer at SK hynix, expressed confidence in the company’s future performance, stating, “We will continue to maximize pr
ofitability while securing stable revenues by taking flexible product and supply strategies in line with market demand.”