SEOUL, October 28 (AJP) - SK hynix pledged about 100 trillion won ($74.7 billion) in 2026 shareholder returns after the largest quarterly operating profit in its history, and the prospects of Samsung Electronics doling out additional rewards pushed the KOSPI above 6,000 for the first time in 10 sessions.
The main index in Seoul jumped 374.1 points, or 6.6 percent, to 6,012.4.
Foreign investors and institutions bought a combined 1.78 trillion won ($1.33 billion) of shares as SK hynix rose 10.9 percent and Samsung Electronics 9.0 percent. The chip bid carried into Tokyo, where the Nikkei 225 gained 1.1 percent.
SK hynix posted third-quarter operating profit of 83.33 trillion won ($62.3 billion). The company controls more than half of global supply of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the stacked DRAM used in artificial intelligence accelerators, by Counterpoint Research’s estimate.
The operating profit was up 632.1 percent from a year earlier and well above the 76.96 trillion won ($57.5 billion) consensus compiled by FnGuide, a Korean financial data provider. Quarterly revenue topped 100 trillion won for the first time, at 104.62 trillion won.
The return plan sets at least 30 trillion won ($22.4 billion) in cash dividends and at least 60 trillion won ($44.9 billion) in share buybacks and cancellations for the year. The buyback figure includes a 40 trillion won ($29.9 billion) buyback the company completed last week.
SK hynix set a third-quarter dividend of 20,000 won ($14.95) a share and announced a fresh 20 trillion won ($14.9 billion) repurchase. Half of the dividend was a special payout funded by gains on its investment in Kioxia Holdings.
The stock closed up 146,000 won ($109.1) at 1,487,000 won ($1,111.5). Its market value rose to 1,086 trillion won ($811.8 billion).
SK square, the largest shareholder in SK hynix with a stake of roughly 20 percent, rose 11.2 percent to 921,000 won ($688.4). Every SK hynix share cancelled raises the holding company’s stake, and the dividends flow straight up to it, which is why traders treat it as a second route into the payout.
Samsung Electronics added 20,000 won to 242,000 won ($180.9) a day before it reports full third-quarter results and holds its earnings call. Its preliminary figures put operating profit at 107.4 trillion won.
Foreigners net bought 815.8 billion won ($609.8 million) of KOSPI shares, their second straight day of buying after three sessions of selling. Institutions added 960.8 billion won ($718.2 million).
Individuals sold a net 1.80 trillion won ($1.35 billion).
The rally tripped a buy-side sidecar for a second straight session. The Korea Exchange uses the mechanism to freeze program buy orders for five minutes when KOSPI 200 futures jump 5 percent.
The tech-heavy KOSDAQ rose 27.5 points, or 3.7 percent, to 771.3, its second straight gain after a three-session slide.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 685.8 points to 63,954.2. Kioxia, the Japanese flash memory maker, jumped more than 10 percent.
The two-day climb of 9.9 percent still leaves the main index in Seoul about 36 percent below its June intraday peak of 9,385.6, and individuals treated the bounce as an exit.
The test of the rally now falls to Samsung Electronics on Thursday, and to whether its outlook backs SK hynix’s view that the memory shortage lasts through 2030.
AJP Takeaways
- SK hynix pledged about 100 trillion won ($74.7 billion) in 2026 shareholder returns after posting third-quarter operating profit of 83.33 trillion won ($62.3 billion).
- The KOSPI closed above 6,000 on October 28 as foreign investors and institutions bought shares, while individual investors sold a net 1.80 trillion won ($1.35 billion).
- Samsung Electronics reports full third-quarter results on Thursday, October 29, the next check on whether the memory chip cycle behind SK hynix’s results holds.
Tags: KOSPI, KOSDAQ, SK hynix, Samsung Electronics, SK square, Kioxia, Nikkei 225, Korea Exchange, high-bandwidth memory, shareholder returns
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