Memory chipmaker SK Hynix’s (HXSCL) shares in South Korea jumped almost 13% by the close of Wednesday’s regular trading session. This comes as investors also expect the company to report record-breaking results after archrival Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) guided for a massive 800% rise in its operating profit for its first-quarter fiscal 2026 that ended in March.
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Is SK Hynix Set for Record Quarterly Earnings?
SK Hynix’s shares (HXSCL) in the U.S. — structured as sponsored global depository receipts — also jumped as high as 7% in pre-market trading on Wednesday. The chipmaker is set to release its Q1 2026 earnings on April 29, 2026, a day before Samsung publishes its full earnings report for the same quarter.
Analysts expect a continued surge in demand for its memory business, particularly the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, to fuel a 208% increase in earnings per share (EPS) and a 162% jump in revenue, both from the same period last year.
Specifically, analysts see EPS rising from KRW 11,410 in Q1 2025 to KRW 35,187.07 ($23.4) during the three-month period that ended in March. They also anticipate revenue to reach KRW 46.25 trillion ($31 billion), up from KRW 17.64 trillion in the prior year quarter.
SK Hynix and Samsung Heat up Competition
In its Q4 2025 earnings released in late January, SK Hynix saw its operating profit jump by 137% year-over-year to KRW 19.2 trillion. The chipmaker’s revenue also expanded by 66% from the prior-year quarter to hit KRW 32.8 trillion.
Competition between SK Hynix and Samsung remains sharp, even as the former recently made a massive chip equipment order from Dutch semiconductor giant ASML Holding (ASML).
SK Hynix is also eyeing a potential $14 billion listing in the U.S. On the other hand, Samsung has stated plans to pump $74 billion into its facilities as well as research and development before the end of 2026.
Is Samsung a Good Stock to Buy?
Samsung’s shares in the U.S. continue to hold a Moderate Buy consensus rating from analysts based on two Buys assigned over the past three months. This comes with no price target.
