SK Hynix Edges Samsung by 13.7 Trillion Won to Become South Korea’s Most Valuable Listed Company

SK Hynix Inc. ’s 2,066.66 trillion won. SK Hynix shares closed 5.61 percent higher while Samsung Electronics shares slipped 0.14 percent. The milestone ended Samsung’s position as the top company on the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index, a ranking it had held since it first took the lead in 1999.

Both chipmakers have gained from strong semiconductor demand tied to artificial intelligence growth. SK Hynix has emerged as the dominant supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI systems by customers including Nvidia Corp. and Alphabet’s Google.

Its shares have risen more than 340 percent so far this year. Samsung Electronics stock has gained 197.7 percent over the same period. Market observers attribute the gap to investor preference for semiconductor-focused companies.

SK Hynix concentrates on memory chips including HBM products, while Samsung maintains a broader portfolio that includes smartphones, consumer electronics and displays.