SK Hynix Q3 revenue tops 100 trillion KRW; HBM4 to lead

On the morning of 28 October 2026 (Beijing time), SK Hynix released its third-quarter FY2026 earnings (July to September 2026). Revenue came in at 104.62 trillion won, up 327.9% year on year and 31.9% quarter on quarter; operating profit was 83.33 trillion won; net profit was 39.78 trillion won, with an operating margin of 80% and a net margin of 38%. Both revenue and operating profit set quarterly records, and revenue crossed the 100 trillion won threshold for the first time. The company said demand for AI memory had pushed prices for its main products higher, which drove both revenue and profit to new quarterly highs, and added that supply tightness would continue until 2030.

In the same release, expectations cited by Eastmoney stood at 98.96 trillion won of sales and 77.5 trillion won of operating profit, so the actual figures beat the street. Bloomberg Technology described quarterly profit as up sevenfold from a year earlier, also ahead of expectations. IT Home reported net profit of 39.53 trillion won, which does not match the 39.78 trillion won given by Eastmoney; the discrepancy between the two reports remains unresolved. For the first three quarters of FY2026 (January to September 2026), total revenue was 236.51 trillion won, up 267.7%, and net profit attributable to the parent was 173.68 trillion won, up 527%.

Plans disclosed alongside the results included making HBM4 the lead product in the fourth quarter, when HBM4 shipments and revenue are expected to exceed those of HBM3E, and lifting M15X fab capacity to maximum by the end of 2026 to expand HBM4 production. SK Hynix also aims to raise the share of 321-layer NAND in its Korea NAND capacity above 50% in the fourth quarter to boost enterprise SSD supply, and to expand NAND use in AI services through HBF and system optimization. The company said it has signed long-term supply agreements with 14 major customers, including large global cloud providers, typically running five years, with pricing mechanisms that reflect market conditions. On capital returns, SK Hynix plans a 20 trillion won share buyback; per regulatory filings, it will pay at least 30 trillion won in cash dividends and buy back and retire at least 60 trillion won of stock in 2026, including the recently completed 40 trillion won repurchase. Bloomberg Technology separately reported an additional shareholder return program for 2026 worth 100 trillion won (about $75 billion).