Key insights
- SK Hynix reported third-quarter earnings that significantly surpassed estimates, driven by strong demand for AI memory chips. Revenue and operating profit saw substantial year-on-year and sequential growth. The company, a key supplier to Nvidia, is benefiting from the AI infrastructure buildout. SK Hynix also announced plans for a large share buyback and a higher shareholder return target, while its subsidiary Solidigm has paused IPO considerations due to market volatility.
"South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix on Wednesday released its third-quarter earnings results, which sharply beats estimates for the July-to-September period.
Here are SK Hynix’s third-quarter results compared with LSEG SmartEstimates, which are weighted toward forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate:
- Revenue: 104.62 trillion won ($78.86 billion) vs. 98.34 trillion won expected * Operating profit: 83.33 trillion won vs. 76.72 trillion won expected
Revenue rose 327.9% from a year earlier, while operating profit climbed 632.1% year on year.
Compared with the previous quarter, revenue climbed 31.9%, while operating profit surged 37.6%.
SK Hynix, a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, chips to Nvidia, has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global AI infrastructure buildout, as technology companies ramp up spending on data centers and advanced processors.
In August, SK Hynix had announced plans to repurchase and cancel 40 trillion won worth of its own shares, while raising its shareholder return target to more than 50% of cumulative free cash flow generated between 2025 and 2027.
Last week, SK Hynix announced that its U.S. subsidiary Solidigm would halt its review of potential pre-IPO fundraising and IPO options, citing market volatility and share price trends.
The company said it would continue to assess investment timing, scale and financing options to support Solidigm’s growth and enhance shareholder value."