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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SK Hynix has emerged as a central beneficiary of the explosive expansion of artificial intelligence, posting its strongest financial performance on record and overtaking Samsung Electronics in annual operating profit for the first time.
The global memory semiconductor leader said it expects the industry supercycle—driven by surging AI-related demand—to continue this year, pledging to prioritize supply for key customers such as Nvidia.
According to a regulatory filing on the 28th, SK Hynix reported consolidated operating profit of KRW 47.2063 trillion for last year, more than doubling from a year earlier with a 101.2% year-on-year increase. The company’s operating margin reached an exceptional 49%.
Annual revenue rose 46.8% year on year to KRW 97.1467 trillion. Both revenue and operating profit marked the highest levels in the company’s history, surpassing its previous 2024 records and exceeding market expectations of KRW 95.295 trillion in revenue and KRW 44.5024 trillion in operating profit. Notably, SK Hynix also surpassed Samsung Electronics’ company-wide operating profit of KRW 43.53 trillion (preliminary) for the first time.
Performance momentum accelerated sharply in the fourth quarter. SK Hynix posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue and operating profit, setting new records just one quarter after the previous peak. Fourth-quarter operating profit reached KRW 19.1696 trillion, while revenue totaled KRW 32.8267 trillion—up 68% and 34%, respectively, from the previous quarter. These figures significantly exceeded market forecasts of KRW 30.9755 trillion in revenue and KRW 16.4642 trillion in operating profit.
On a year-on-year basis, fourth-quarter operating profit surged 137.2%, while revenue climbed 66.1%. The quarterly operating margin stood at 58%, surpassing that of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry, which reported an operating margin of 54% for the same period.
Industry observers attribute SK Hynix’s exceptional performance to strong demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and advanced DRAM products used in AI data centers, reinforcing the company’s position at the heart of the global AI semiconductor supply chain.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
