SK Hynix Posts Sevenfold Profit Surge as AI Memory Demand Crushes Semiconductor Forecasts

SK Hynix, the world's second-largest memory chipmaker, reported an operating profit of 83.3 trillion won ($62.8 billion) in the third quarter, surging nearly seven times compared with a year earlier, and announced a 100 trillion won ($75.4 billion) shareholder return program for 2026, betting that the relentless demand for AI hardware will sustain a historic profitability run. The South Korean manufacturer's results, announced Monday, far exceeded analyst expectations of 77.5 trillion won in operating profit, with revenue climbing to 104.6 trillion won against a consensus estimate of 99 trillion won. The company achieved this performance despite long-standing industry concerns about whether elevated AI spending could be sustained through a normal economic cycle.