SK Hynix Shares Jump 10.9% on Record Profit, Kospi Tops 6,000

Updated Oct. 28, 2026: SK hynix's U.S.-listed shares closed Wednesday at $164.70, up 13.3% from Tuesday's close of $145.36 and well above the early premarket level cited below, according to Yahoo Finance data.

SK hynix shares jumped 10.89% in Seoul on Wednesday, Oct. 28, after the memory chipmaker reported record third-quarter operating profit of 83.33 trillion won, up 632% from a year earlier. The stock closed at 1,487,000 won, up from 1,341,000 won on Tuesday, according to Yahoo Finance data.

The rally spread across South Korea's market. The Kospi rose 6.63%, or 374.10 points, to 6,012.44, Yonhap reported. It was the index's first close above 6,000 since Oct. 14, according to The Asia Business Daily, and its biggest one-day percentage gain since July 31, Yahoo Finance daily data show. Samsung Electronics gained 9.01% to 242,000 won.

What did SK hynix report for the third quarter?

Revenue rose 328% from a year earlier and 32% from the second quarter to 104.62 trillion won, SK hynix said in its earnings release. It was the first quarter in the company's history with revenue above 100 trillion won. The operating margin widened to 80% from 76% in the second quarter.

Measure (3Q26)	Result	Change from 2Q26	Change from 3Q25
Revenue	104.62 trillion won	+32%	+328%
Operating profit	83.33 trillion won	+38%	+632%
Operating margin	80%	+3 points	+33 points
Net profit	39.78 trillion won	-58%	+216%

Source: SK hynix third-quarter 2026 earnings release. Figures are preliminary and the quarterly review has not been finalized, the company said.

The results topped forecasts. Brokerages had expected operating profit of 75.97 trillion won and revenue of 96.66 trillion won, according to FnGuide data cited by the Seoul Economic Daily.

SK hynix said sales of server DDR5 memory rose sharply and shipments of HBM4, its newest high-bandwidth memory for AI chips, began in earnest. It expects HBM4 to pass HBM3E in shipments and revenue in the fourth quarter. The company said it has signed long-term agreements with 14 major customers covering more than half of its 2027 to 2028 production capacity, and it expects memory demand to exceed supply through 2030.

How much will SK hynix return to shareholders?

SK hynix set a 2026 target of about 100 trillion won in shareholder returns, or about $75.3 billion, according to Yonhap. The plan includes at least 30 trillion won of cash dividends and at least 60 trillion won of share buybacks and cancellations, counting a 40 trillion won buyback announced in August.

For the third quarter, the board approved a cash dividend of 20,000 won a share, or 14 trillion won in total, including a 10,000 won special dividend tied to gains on its Kioxia investment. It also approved a 20 trillion won share repurchase, the company said. SK hynix also said it had dropped its review of an initial public offering for its Solidigm unit.

"SK hynix demonstrated that strong demand for AI chips can translate into solid operating profits and shareholder returns," Lee Jae-won of Yuanta Securities said, according to Yonhap.

How are SK hynix's U.S. shares trading?

SK hynix's U.S.-listed shares traded at about $155.36 at 9:03 a.m. ET, up about 6.9% from Tuesday's close of $145.36, according to Yahoo Finance data. The Federal Reserve announces its rate decision at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

For more chip-sector news, see TSMC's third-quarter profit jump and Western Digital's quarterly results. Follow more earnings coverage in our companies section and markets coverage.