South Korea’s SK Hynix Inc. unveiled staggering 2025 financial results on January 28, 2026, reporting record annual operating profit of 47.206 trillion won ($33 billion), more than double the prior year’s figure, propelled by insatiable demand for high-bandwidth memory chips fueling artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company’s full-year revenue climbed nearly 50% to 97.147 trillion won, with fourth-quarter revenue surging 66% year-over-year to 32.827 trillion won ($23 billion), beating analyst expectations of 32.132 trillion won. Operating profit for the December quarter rocketed 137% to 19.17 trillion won, topping forecasts of 17.729 trillion won, as CNBC detailed.

In the DRAM segment, HBM revenue more than doubled year-on-year, cementing SK Hynix’s dominance in the AI server market where these chips store vast data volumes at high speeds. Demand has outstripped supply, rippling shortages into conventional DRAM and NAND for consumer electronics and electric vehicles, driving broad price surges. “We see SK Hynix as one of the biggest AI winners in Asia, driven by its leadership in HBM and strong overall memory competitiveness,” said Ray Wang, analyst at SemiAnalysis, as quoted by CNBC. Beyond HBM, commodity DRAM emerges as a key earnings driver in 2026 amid structural supply constraints.

Record Results Signal AI-Driven Memory Supercycle

SK Hynix’s official release emphasized 2025 as a year reaffirming its technological edge, with HBM and high-value products like server DRAM and enterprise SSDs propelling growth. Quarterly operating margin hit 58%, up from prior periods, while annual net profit reached 42.9479 trillion won. The firm announced canceling treasury shares worth 12.24 trillion won and additional dividends of 1 trillion won, totaling 2.1 trillion won for fiscal 2025, boosting shareholder returns as per its press release.

Shares jumped 5.13% to 841,000 won following the announcement, reflecting investor confidence amid AI hype. Local media reported SK Hynix as exclusive supplier of advanced HBM for Microsoft’s new AI processor, further solidifying ties with hyperscalers. Earnings exceeded FnGuide consensus of 44.5 trillion won operating profit and 95.3 trillion won revenue, per Korea JoongAng Daily.

HBM Leadership Fuels Market Dominance

SK Hynix commands a 61% HBM market share, per Macquarie Equity Research cited in Reuters, outpacing rivals in chips critical for Nvidia and others’ AI accelerators. Mass production of HBM4, the next generation, is underway—the first in industry—alongside stable HBM3E supply, positioning it uniquely. “Faster-than-expected growth in HBM demand has sharply improved SK hynix’s earnings visibility,” noted Lee Min-hee of BNK Securities in Korea JoongAng Daily.

NAND revenue also hit records, driven by enterprise SSDs via U.S. subsidiary Solidigm, with 321-layer QLC development completed. Server DRAM shipments, including high-capacity DDR5 modules up fourfold in price to $32.4 per 16GB per TrendForce via The Korea Times, amplified gains as AI shifts to inference and distributed architectures boost overall memory needs.

Rivals Face Uphill Battle in HBM Race

Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix’s top competitor, reports earnings January 29, 2026, but trails in HBM with 22% share versus SK Hynix’s 57% in Q3 2025 per Counterpoint, as noted in Korea JoongAng Daily. SK Hynix overtook Samsung’s Device Solutions in profit and eyes overall lead with a 3 trillion won gap over Samsung’s 43.53 trillion won forecast. Micron lags further in HBM ramp-up.

Analysts eye Thursday’s call for HBM4 timelines, U.S./Korea fab expansions like Yongin cluster and Indiana packaging, and Nvidia demand outlook. Shortages persist into 2026 as capacity lags, per PR Newswire. X users like @RihardJarc hailed the beat, noting 66% revenue and 137% profit jumps, signaling early-cycle strength.

Expansion Plans Bet Big on Sustained AI Boom

SK Hynix accelerates 1cnm DRAM process, SOCAMM2, and GDDR7 for AI GPUs, while custom HBM gains traction. AI inference expansion drives server DRAM and NAND alongside HBM, with demand secured through 2026. Moody’s recent upgrade reflects net cash shift and profitability, per market commentary. As big tech ramps AI investments, SK Hynix’s full-stack prowess—HBM3E to HBM4—positions it central to the memory surge reshaping semiconductors.