SK Hynix joins exclusive group of companies with $1 trillion market value

South Korean Chipmaker Achieves $1 Trillion Milestone

SK Hynix, a leading memory chipmaker from South Korea, has reached the exclusive club of companies valued at least $1 trillion. The company’s market capitalization surpassed 1.66 quadrillion won ($1.10 trillion) on Friday, following a significant surge in its share price.

The milestone comes as investors capitalize on record-breaking revenues generated by the growing demand for semiconductors used in artificial intelligence (AI). SK Hynix’s shares have increased by 240% since the start of the year and over 80% this month alone. This trend mirrors a broader AI-driven rally in South Korea’s stock market, with the benchmark KOSPI index doubling in value so far in 2026.

SK Hynix reported a fivefold increase in operating profit for the first three months of the year, reaching 37.6 trillion won ($24.9 billion). Revenue also rose threefold on a yearly basis to 52.6 trillion won ($34.8 billion).

Only 17 companies have achieved a market valuation of at least $1 trillion, with all but five based in the United States. Chinese state-owned PetroChina was the first company to reach this milestone upon its listing on the Shanghai stock exchange in 2007. Other notable companies that have reached the $1 trillion mark include Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Alphabet.

SK Hynix is one of four non-US-based companies currently valued at least $1 trillion, along with Samsung Electronics, Taiwan’s TSMC, and Saudi Arabia’s Saudi Aramco.

Source: Al Jazeera