SK Hynix Announces Record Q3 2026 Profit, $75 B Shareholder Return and AI-Driven Demand Outlook

SK Hynix will release its Q3 2026 results on October 28, 2026, reporting revenue of 104.6155 trillion won—the first quarter to exceed 100 trillion won—and operating profit of 83.3338 trillion won, an operating margin of about 80 %. Net profit was 39.7756 trillion won, up 31.9 % in revenue and 37.6 % in operating profit from the prior quarter, driven by server-grade DDR5 DRAM and full-scale shipment of sixth-generation HBM4.

South Korea's SK Hynix Posts Q3 Operating Profit Above 83 Trillion Won, Unveils 100 Trillion Won Shareholder Return Plan — BigGo Finance

The firm will return roughly 100 trillion won to shareholders in fiscal 2026, including cash dividends of 30 trillion won or more and share buybacks and cancellations exceeding 60 trillion won. The board approved a third-quarter cash dividend of 14 trillion won (20,000 won per share) and a 20 trillion won share repurchase, half of which will be cancelled. The special dividend reflects gains from the Kioxia investment.

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SK Hynix says its DRAM and HBM volumes through 2029 are “effectively sold out,” backed by long-term agreements with 14 major customers covering more than 50 % of capacity for 2027-2028. The company expects memory demand to outpace supply through 2030, driven by AI workloads in data-center infrastructure, autonomous driving and robotics. To meet the gap, it will ramp up the M15X fab to maximum capacity by year-end and increase the share of its 10 nm-class 6th-generation process for AI servers.

SK hynix Q3 operating profit hits 83 trillion won, beating market expectations

CEO Kwak Noh-Jung explained that the planned pre-IPO fundraising for Solidigm, SK Hynix’s U.S. NAND subsidiary, was discontinued because recent market volatility would not deliver the anticipated outcome. The decision aligns with the company’s principle of preserving shareholder value while reassessing investment timing and financing options.

SK hynix Announces 3Q26 Financial Results – SK hynix Newsroom

Cash and cash equivalents rose to 114.5 trillion won, up 26.5 trillion won from the previous quarter, while borrowings fell to 15.8 trillion won, increasing net cash to 98.7 trillion won.

South Korea's SK Hynix Posts Q3 Operating Profit Above 83 Trillion Won, Unveils 100 Trillion Won Shareholder Return Plan — BigGo Finance

Analysts had expected net profit of roughly 61 trillion won; the actual 39.7756 trillion won fell short. The shortfall is attributed to a 11.6 trillion won foreign-exchange loss and 22.9 trillion won losses on investment-holding valuations, both outside the core chip business.

South Korea's SK Hynix Posts Q3 Operating Profit Above 83 Trillion Won, Unveils 100 Trillion Won Shareholder Return Plan — BigGo Finance

• The CEO emphasized that the IPO was intended to raise external capital for Solidigm’s expansion but was halted after careful assessment of market conditions.

Bloomberg: SK Hynix Sub-Subsidiary Solidigm Pursuing $45 Billion NAND Plant in US

• Management highlighted that the shareholder-return policy reflects the commitment to return gains from strategic investments, particularly the Kioxia stake.

SK hynix Q3 operating profit hits 83 trillion won, beating market expectations

• The firm reiterated its plan to increase capital expenditure in 2027 to expand capacity and maintain a “stable profitability” structure through flexible, market-linked pricing in LTAs.

SK hynix Announces 3Q26 Financial Results – SK hynix Newsroom

• “The IPO was intended to raise external capital for the expansion of Solidigm’s production facilities, and thereby to lighten our own investment burden and broaden our capacity for shareholder returns,” — CEO Kwak

SK hynix Announces 3Q26 Financial Results – SK hynix Newsroom

• “Our DRAM and HBM volume for the next three years through 2029 are effectively sold out.” — CEO Kwak Noh-Jung

24/7 Wall St.

• “We expect CapEx in 2027 to increase significantly compared to 2026.” — Price Kim, CFO

24/7 Wall St.

• “Despite unfavorable currency effects, both operating profit and the operating margin set record quarterly highs, driven by higher product prices and expanded sales centered on high-value products,” — CFO Kim Woo-hyun

SK hynix Sells Out DRAM, HBM Through 2029, Easing Peak-Out Fears

• “Over the next three years through 2029, virtually all of our D-Ram and high-bandwidth memory volumes are effectively sold out,” — Park Jun-deok, VP, DRAM marketing

SK hynix Sells Out DRAM, HBM Through 2029, Easing Peak-Out Fears