SK hynix soars 13% on Nasdaq debut, raising $26.5 billion（約4.2兆円）

SK hynix's debut reflects a broader shift in investor appetite toward semiconductor suppliers serving AI infrastructure. The company, along with domestic rival Samsung Electronics and US chipmaker Micron, has become a pillar of the AI boom: all three have crossed the $1 trillion（約160兆円） market capitalization mark—a milestone recently achieved by SK hynix in May—and together they dominate the global market for high-bandwidth memory components critical to AI servers. The oversubscription of the offering (more than seven times) suggests that despite recent tech stock volatility and questions about when AI spending will generate returns, institutional investors remain confident in the durability of memory-chip demand.

For SK hynix specifically, the Nasdaq listing broadens its capital base and signals validation of the company's strategic position. The listing comes as SK hynix shares have already soared more than 220 percent in 2024 on the Seoul exchange, driven by surging profits tied to Nvidia's and other hyperscalers' race to build data centers. Analysts, including research strategist Dilin Wu at Pepperstone, have framed the move as confirmation that "the AI memory cycle is real, the earnings are real"—a reassurance to markets concerned about whether AI capital expenditure can justify valuations.