Key Highlights
- South Korea’s Kospi benchmark gained 4.6% in Monday trading, propelled by chip manufacturers
- Samsung Electronics shares climbed 5.7% while SK Hynix surged 8.3% on artificial intelligence chip momentum
- Worldwide DRAM sector revenue reached $154.73 billion during Q2 2026, representing a 59.5% sequential increase
- The two South Korean giants control approximately 64% of worldwide DRAM production
- Industry analysts project DRAM pricing to climb 13% to 18% during Q3 2026
Memory chip manufacturers drove South Korean equities sharply higher on Monday as investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence expansion remained robust.
The Kospi index registered a 4.6% advance. Samsung Electronics climbed 5.7% while SK Hynix surged 8.3%, with both companies reaching their highest levels in several months. SK Hynix finished trading at 1.783 million won per share, while Samsung settled at 270,000 won.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 also posted gains, rising 2.1%. The CSI 300 in mainland China advanced 0.6%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng bucked the trend with a 0.9% decline.
Positive U.S. employment data from Friday appears to have contributed momentum to the rally. American employers added 162,000 jobs in August, exceeding analyst projections.
European equities did not mirror Asia’s performance. The Stoxx 600 declined 0.2% during early sessions. Germany’s Dax similarly fell 0.2% following a right-wing party’s victory in a regional vote. American markets remained closed for the Labor Day holiday.
Memory Chip Market Delivers Robust Revenue Expansion
The rally in South Korean technology stocks coincided with fresh data demonstrating exceptional growth in the worldwide DRAM sector. Industry revenues climbed to $154.73 billion in Q2 2026, marking a 59.5% jump from the previous quarter, based on analysis from TrendForce.
Samsung maintained its position as market leader with DRAM sales of $60.98 billion, representing a 63.4% sequential increase. The company’s market dominance expanded from 38.5% to 39.4%. Samsung has been aggressively scaling production of sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory technology, designated as HBM4.
SK Hynix generated DRAM revenues of $38.59 billion, climbing 37.9% from the prior quarter. Nevertheless, its market position contracted from 28.8% to 24.9%. This decline is partially attributed to HBM contract structures, which involve extended-term agreements that delay the transmission of pricing adjustments.
Micron Technology secured third position, with revenues jumping 65.5% to $36 billion. Its market presence expanded from 22.4% to 23.3%, closing the distance with SK Hynix.
Constrained Supply Meets Growing AI Infrastructure Needs
Memory chip inventories continue to run lean throughout the sector. TrendForce anticipates supply expansion will remain restricted during Q3, maintaining upward momentum on pricing. DRAM costs are projected to increase between 13% and 18% in the upcoming quarter.
Certain personal computer and mobile device manufacturers may find it challenging to accommodate these price escalations, potentially moderating the rate of future increases.
Market analysts have raised their Samsung Q3 operating profit projections by 12% over the past three months to 114.19 trillion won. SK Hynix’s consensus estimate has increased 4% to 78.80 trillion won.
Appetite for AI-optimized memory products is anticipated to remain elevated as artificial intelligence firms continue expanding model scale and computational infrastructure complexity.
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