SK Hynix Continues to Lead in Performance, Ramping Up AI Memory Layout to Meet Growing Demand
SK Hynix’s second-quarter performance hit new records, with multiple core financial indicators reaching all-time highs. Financial reports show that the company’s consolidated operating profit for the quarter reached 9.2 trillion won, a year-on-year surge of 68.5%, exceeding market expectations by 1.95%; sales amounted to 22.2 trillion won, a year-on-year increase of 35.4%; net profit grew by 69.8% to 7 trillion won. This also marks the second consecutive quarter that its sales and operating profit have set new records. Its operating profit was more than twice that of Samsung Electronics’ 4.6 trillion won in the same period, with the operating profit rate remaining at a high level of 41%.
The core driver behind the soaring performance lies in high-value-added AI memory products. The sales volume of 12-layer HBM3E has increased significantly, driving the strong performance of the DRAM business; NAND flash memory has achieved sales growth in all application fields, with shipments exceeding expectations. By the end of the second quarter, the company’s cash assets had increased to 17 trillion won, and the liability ratio and net liability ratio had dropped to 25% and 6% respectively, with the financial structure continuously optimized.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, SK Hynix holds an optimistic forecast for memory demand. Global tech giants are increasing their investment in AI, and the intensified competition in the reasoning capabilities of large models will continue to drive up the demand for high-performance and large-capacity memory. The construction of AI sovereignty in various countries has become a new long-term growth driver. To this end, the company plans to double the production of HBM year-on-year and accelerate the preparation for HBM4 supply. At the same time, it will start the supply of LPDDR server modules within the year, expand the AI GPU – used GDDR7 from 16Gb to 24Gb, and break Samsung’s exclusive supply pattern in the 24Gb GDDR7 field.
The product layout is flourishing in multiple aspects. In the NAND field, it has launched high-density enterprise – level SSDs of 120TB and above, and will expand the 321 – layer product line to client – side and enterprise – level SSDs by the end of the year. Capacity construction is also accelerating simultaneously. The new M15X fab is expected to start production in the fourth quarter of 2025 and launch the production of HBM and other DRAMs in 2026; the Yongin cluster fab is scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2027, and capital expenditure will be increased in 2025 to ensure HBM demand in 2026.
At the industry level, competition and innovation in the memory market go hand in hand. Nvidia plans to deploy 600,000 – 800,000 SOCAMM modules in 2025 as a potential alternative to HBM. Micron has already achieved mass production, and Samsung and SK Hynix are actively promoting supply cooperation. In the SSD field, a capacity race has been set off. Kioxia has launched the world’s highest – capacity SSD of 245.76TB, Pure Storage is about to launch a 300TB version, and Kioxia’s next – generation BiCS 10th – generation NAND, relying on 332 – layer stacking technology, can theoretically support 368TB SSDs.
SK Hynix stated that it will consolidate its market position through diversified product lines based on its industry – leading AI memory competitiveness. With the continuous increase in the output of high – performance products such as HBM and GDDR7, as well as the steady progress of capacity construction, the company is moving towards the goal of becoming a full – stack AI memory supplier to meet the long – term memory demand growth brought about by the global AI development. Industry analysis points out that SK Hynix’s advantages in high – value – added products and capacity layout are expected to enable it to continue leading in the global memory market competition.