Yazılar

Samsung and SK Hynix Surge After OpenAI Chip Partnership Boosts AI Optimism

/in /tarafından

Shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix soared on Thursday after OpenAI announced a major partnership with the two South Korean chipmakers to support its massive Stargate artificial intelligence data centre project in the United States.

Samsung Electronics jumped 4.7%, reaching its highest level in more than four years, while SK Hynix surged 12% to an all-time high, adding a combined $37 billion in market capitalization.
The rally also lifted South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index by more than 3%, marking a new record.

MARKET REACTION AND ANALYST INSIGHT

Analysts said the partnership could dispel earlier market fears about potential declines in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chip prices amid rising competition.

“Such worries will be easily resolved by this strategic partnership,” wrote Jeff Kim, analyst at KB Securities, predicting a sharp rise in chip demand driven by the Stargate project.
Kim added that, since Stargate is a key U.S. government-backed initiative led by President Donald Trump, the collaboration could also positively influence trade negotiations between Washington and Seoul.

DETAILS OF THE PARTNERSHIP

The deal — part of the $500 billion Stargate project aimed at building next-generation AI infrastructure — will see OpenAI, Samsung, and SK Hynix jointly work on semiconductor procurement and the construction of two data centres in South Korea, referred to as a “Korean-style Stargate.”
Each data centre will start with a 20-megawatt capacity, and Seoul hopes the project will help position South Korea as an Asian AI hub, given that the country already ranks second globally in the number of paying ChatGPT subscribers after the United States.

WIDER IMPACT ON SAMSUNG AFFILIATES

Other Samsung affiliates also gained sharply on the news:

  • Samsung SDI rose on expectations of increased demand for advanced power systems.

  • Samsung C&T and Samsung SDS advanced after confirming new roles in AI data centre construction and infrastructure partnerships with OpenAI.

STRONGER EXPORT OUTLOOK

The AI-driven semiconductor boom has been a key factor in South Korea’s economic rebound, with exports rising in September at their fastest pace in 14 months, defying concerns about the impact of U.S. tariffs.
Seoul hopes to finalize a trade agreement with the United States by late October, following a preliminary deal reached in July that would lower tariffs on South Korean imports in exchange for a $350 billion U.S. investment package.

However, officials have said talks have stalled over concerns about foreign exchange risks and the structure of the investment commitments.

Korea’s SK Group and Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Nation’s Largest AI Data Centre

/in /tarafından

South Korea’s SK Group announced a $5.11 billion investment plan, including $4 billion from Amazon Web Services (AWS), to build the country’s largest data centre in Ulsan, the Science Ministry confirmed Friday. Construction will begin in September, with full operations expected by 2029, featuring a capacity of 100 megawatts.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won expressed ambitions to expand the facility to one gigawatt eventually, aiming to position it as a global hub to meet domestic AI demands. President Lee Jae Myung, present at the announcement alongside tech industry leaders, emphasized AI’s critical role in South Korea’s growth and praised the project for spreading high-tech industry development beyond the metropolitan areas into provincial regions.

Following the announcement, South Korean AI-related stocks surged, with SK Hynix rising over 3%, Kakao jumping 11%, and LG CNS gaining 9%, helping the KOSPI index surpass 3,000 points for the first time in over three years.

The investment confirms earlier media reports this month about SK Group and AWS’s plans to build a major data centre in South Korea.

SK Hynix Spurs Rally in Asian Semiconductor Stocks with Mass Production of Advanced AI Chip

/in /tarafından

SK Hynix shares surged by over 9% on Thursday after the South Korean chipmaker announced the mass production of a new high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chip designed for AI applications. The company revealed that the HBM3E chip, the first 12-layer version of its kind, will be ready for delivery by the end of the year. This updated chip boasts a 36 GB capacity, marking a 50% increase from the previous 8-layer version, all while maintaining the same physical thickness.

SK Hynix has positioned itself as a key player in the AI memory chip market, supplying HBM chips to major tech firms like Nvidia. With the new 12-layer HBM3E chip, the company seeks to solidify its dominance in the space, offering advanced solutions for high-end generative AI workloads.

HBM chips are dynamic random access memory (DRAM) components that are stacked vertically, allowing for more compact designs and reduced power consumption. The global HBM market is currently dominated by SK Hynix, Micron Technology, and Samsung Electronics.

Micron Technology also made headlines by issuing better-than-expected revenue and profit forecasts for its fiscal first quarter, citing strong demand for HBM chips. Micron expects $8.7 billion in revenue and profits of $1.74 per share, surpassing market estimates. This positive outlook, coupled with SK Hynix’s announcement, led to a rally in Asian semiconductor stocks.

In Japan, Tokyo Electron’s shares rose 7%, and Advantest climbed 5%, while Samsung Electronics saw a 3% gain. The South Korean Kospi index also responded positively, increasing by 2% as the sector benefitted from these developments.