SK Hynix on Monday surpassed Samsung Electronics to become South Korea’s most valuable publicly traded company, marking a significant turnaround for a chipmaker that nearly went bankrupt under debt two decades ago.
Shares of SK Hynix, now the world’s most valuable memory chipmaker, closed up 5.6%, increasing its market capitalization to 2,080.4 trillion won ($1.35 trillion), while Samsung’s stock declined by 0.14%, giving it a market value of 2,066.7 trillion won.
The company, now the leading supplier of HBM chips used in AI systems for clients like Nvidia and Google, has become one of the biggest winners of the global AI boom, driving a more than 340% increase in its shares this year and boosting its market value above both Samsung and Micron.
SK Hynix is moving toward its planned U.S. listing, which will expand the company’s investor base and elevate its profile among global investors.
Samsung stated that any calculation of its market capitalization should include preferred shares. Including these shares, the company’s value at market close was 2,246.4 trillion won.
Samsung has maintained the top spot in the Republic of Korea since 2000.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
