AI-Driven Semiconductor Rally Pushes Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to New Highs
A Strong Start to the Day for Korea’s Chip Giants
South Korea’s semiconductor leaders, SK hynix and Samsung Electronics, once again captured market attention as both stocks surged to fresh all-time highs. After maintaining a steady upward trend in recent sessions, the two companies extended their rally with strong gains in early trading.
As of 9:20 a.m. on the 7th, SK hynix was trading at 748,000 won, up nearly 3% from the previous close. This marked the company’s tenth consecutive trading day of gains, highlighting sustained investor confidence rather than short-term speculation. Samsung Electronics also rose more than 2.5% to 142,400 won, officially entering the long-anticipated “140,000 won era.”
Global AI Momentum Fuels Semiconductor Optimism
The latest rally is closely tied to renewed optimism surrounding the global artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Overnight, U.S. markets reflected strong confidence in AI-related growth, with semiconductor stocks leading the advance. This positive sentiment spilled over into Asian markets, reinforcing demand for memory and logic chip manufacturers.
At CES 2026, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, emphasized the concept of “AI factories,” explaining that large-scale AI deployment will require a significant expansion of semiconductor manufacturing facilities worldwide. His remarks strengthened expectations that memory demand—particularly for high-performance AI servers—will remain robust for years to come.
U.S. Semiconductor Stocks Reinforce the Trend
The enthusiasm was not limited to Korean markets. In the U.S., Micron Technology jumped more than 10% in a single session, while storage and semiconductor-related firms such as SanDisk, Western Digital, Seagate Technology, and Texas Instruments posted double-digit or near double-digit gains.
These moves suggest that investors are broadly reassessing the long-term earnings potential of semiconductor companies as AI adoption accelerates across industries, from cloud computing to autonomous systems.
Analysts Raise Target Prices Amid Structural Growth
Korean brokerage firms have responded by raising their target prices for both SK hynix and Samsung Electronics. Several analysts now argue that the current rally is supported by structural changes in demand rather than a cyclical rebound alone. AI servers require significantly more advanced memory chips than traditional systems, and leading suppliers are well positioned to benefit.
Importantly, even brief pullbacks seen earlier this week were met with buying interest, indicating that investors view short-term corrections as opportunities rather than warning signs.
Looking Beyond Short-Term Volatility
While profit-taking remains a possibility after such rapid gains, the broader outlook for the semiconductor sector appears constructive. The convergence of AI, data centers, and next-generation computing continues to reshape global demand patterns. For companies with strong technology, scale, and production capacity, the current environment offers long-term growth potential.
As markets adjust to this new reality, SK hynix and Samsung Electronics are increasingly seen not just as cyclical chipmakers, but as core infrastructure providers in the AI-driven global economy.
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