SK Hynix Q2 Results Smash Records: HBM Chip Frenzy Fuels Historic Profit Surge

TradingKey - On Thursday, SK Hynix released its Q2 2025 earnings report, with the South Korean memory chip giant once again solidifying its global leadership in the semiconductor industry through record-breaking revenue and profits.

The financial data showed quarterly revenue reached KRW 222.3 trillion (US$161.7 billion), a year-over-year (YoY) increase of 35% and a quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) rise of 26%, significantly surpassing the market estimate of KRW 205.6 trillion. Operating profit surged 69% YoY to KRW 92.1 trillion, while net profit hit KRW 6.9962 trillion, achieving a net profit margin of 31%.

Source: SK Hynix

Both metrics set new historical records for the company, surpassing the peak levels achieved at end-2024. Notably, this performance more than doubled Samsung Electronics’ results for the same period.

The explosive growth was primarily driven by surging demand for High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips. Global tech giants’ sustained investments in artificial intelligence have propelled SK Hynix’s HBM product line into rapid expansion. The company also projects that HBM chip sales will double compared to 2024 for the full year.

Ray Wang, Principal Analyst for Semiconductors, Supply Chains, and Emerging Technologies at The Futurum Group, commented: "SK Hynix remains dominant in HBM competition. Although Samsung and Micron are catching up, the technology gap is difficult to bridge in the short term."

Faced with market opportunities, SK Hynix is accelerating capacity expansion. The M15X wafer fabrication plant is scheduled to begin operations in Q4 2025, with DRAM production — including HBM — starting in 2026. The first factory in Yongin is expected to complete construction by Q2 2027.