SK Hynix announced a plan to return roughly US$75 billion to shareholders in 2026 after posting a record quarterly profit driven by AI-related memory chip demand.
The company said the 2026 return policy totals about 100 trillion won, including cash dividends exceeding 30 trillion won and share repurchases and cancellations of more than 60 trillion won. The repurchase component incorporates a 40 trillion won program announced in August.
Following the announcement, SK Hynix shares rose as much as 9.4 percent in early trading.
CFO Kim Woo-hyun noted that customers are scrutinizing AI project feasibility while still expanding spending, and that the range of firms investing in AI is widening.
The firm reported it has sold out its high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and DRAM inventories through 2029, with HBM demand twice the amount it can supply. Executives warned that a chip shortage could persist until 2030.
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Data from Nomura show SK Hynix holds nearly half of the global HBM market and remains a top supplier of DRAM chips.
Long-term agreements have been signed with 14 major customers, covering more than half of the company’s production capacity slated for 2027 and 2028.
To meet demand, SK Hynix said it will increase capital expenditure significantly next year from this year, to invest in equipment for advanced chipmaking processes as well as infrastructure in South Korea and overseas.
Operating profit for the July–September quarter reached 83.3 trillion won, a record compared with 11.4 trillion won a year earlier. Revenue climbed 328 percent to 104.6 trillion won.
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