SK hynix (HXSCF, Financial), a key memory chip supplier to Nvidia (NVDA, Financial), reported a 42% year-over-year revenue jump in the first quarter, hitting 17.639 trillion won. While that's down 11% from its record-breaking Q4, it still marked the second-best quarter in the company's history for both revenue and operating profit.
The South Korean chipmaker credited the growth to rising demand for advanced memory—particularly High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and DDR5—driven by the global race to scale AI infrastructure. The company noted stronger-than-expected momentum as firms stock up inventory to prepare for AI system development.
SK hynix continues to roll out its latest memory chips, including 12-layer HBM3E, and said sales of that chip alone are expected to make up over 50% of total HBM3E revenue in Q2. Despite macroeconomic volatility and ongoing uncertainty around global tariff policy, the company said its HBM sales plans for key customers remain unchanged from prior agreements.
The firm acknowledged that supply deals are generally set a year in advance, which helps insulate its HBM business from short-term disruptions. It also plans to maintain close coordination with partners across its supply chain to support customers' evolving needs.
SK hynix remains the dominant player in the HBM market, ahead of Samsung Electronics (SSNLF, Financial) and U.S.-based Micron Technology (MU, Financial).
