SK하이닉스 분기 매출 첫 100조 돌파…“AI 인프라 투자 성장세 견조”

SK하이닉스 has surpassed the 100 trillion won revenue milestone for the first time in its quarterly earnings, with a record-breaking performance driven by increased demand for AI memory chips. In the latest quarter, the company reported sales of 104.6155 trillion won and an operating profit of 83.3338 trillion won, both of which set new record highs.

This represents a 327.9% increase in sales compared to the same period last year, and a 632.1% increase in operating profit compared to the previous year. The operating profit margin reached 80%.

SK하이닉스 has attributed this strong performance to the growing demand for AI memory chips. The company's 6G high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) shipments are ramping up, and the sales of DDR5 memory for servers are also on the rise. Additionally, the company's NAND flash business is benefiting from the adoption of its 321T TLC (triple-level cell) technology in enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs). High-value products in the data center segment are continuing their growth trend.

SK하이닉스 believes that the memory semiconductor market will continue to grow as AI infrastructure investments expand. CFO Kim Woo-hyun noted during a conference call that AI infrastructure investments have moved beyond the initial stage of reliance on a few companies, with more companies and governments now investing. He added that while some investment adjustments may be considered, the growth trend of AI infrastructure investments will likely continue.

The demand for memory chips is expected to surge in the short term due to the growth of AI in businesses and personal use, and in the medium to long term, due to advancements in autonomous driving and robotics. However, supply expansion will lag behind demand, leading to a situation where demand outstrips supply by 2030. To address this, SK하이닉스 plans to expand its production capacity by focusing on high-value memory components.

The company will increase its production of DDR5 memory for AI servers, 'LPDDR5 SOCAMM' low-power DDR5 memory modules for AI servers, and HBM4 (6c) to make it the top-selling product in the fourth quarter. They will also expand the production of 321T NAND flash to supply high-performance, high-capacity eSSDs. The company has signed long-term supply agreements (LTAs) with 14 major cloud service providers (CSPs), including global giants, and currently holds over 50% of the global production capacity for the next two years.

SK하이닉스 is also investing heavily in infrastructure in Incheon and other locations, with investment levels expected to surpass this year's by next year.