SK hynix reported record Q3 2026 operating profit of ₩83.33 trillion on October 28, about 8% above analyst forecasts. It also raised its 2026 shareholder returns to about ₩100 trillion, and its sharesSK hynix reported record Q3 2026 operating profit of ₩83.33 trillion on October 28, about 8% above analyst forecasts. It also raised its 2026 shareholder returns to about ₩100 trillion, and its shares
SK Hynix Q3 2026 Earnings: Record ₩83 Trillion Profit, ₩100 Trillion Payout and What It Means for Micron
SK hynix reported record Q3 2026 operating profit of ₩83.33 trillion on October 28, about 8% above analyst forecasts. It also raised its 2026 shareholder returns to about ₩100 trillion, and its shares rose almost 7% in Seoul. Revenue passed ₩100 trillion in a quarter for the first time, and the company said HBM4 will become its main high-bandwidth memory product in Q4.
What did SK hynix report for Q3 2026?
SK hynix released its results before the Seoul market opened on Wednesday, October 28. According to the SK hynix Q3 2026 release:
- Revenue: ₩104.62 trillion, up 32% from Q2 and 328% from a year earlier
- Operating profit: ₩83.33 trillion, up 38% from Q2 and 632% from a year earlier
- Operating margin: 80%, against 76% in Q2 and 47% a year earlier
- Net profit: ₩39.78 trillion, down 58% from Q2, when net profit was inflated by large investment gains
- Net cash: ₩98.7 trillion, with ₩114.5 trillion of cash against ₩15.8 trillion of borrowings
The company said prices of its key products rose and server DDR5 sales grew sharply. It did not give price or shipment figures. Industry data cited by the Seoul Economic Daily show the DDR4 8Gb contract price at $26 at the end of Q3, up 23.8% from the previous quarter.
Did SK hynix beat estimates?
Yes. Operating profit of ₩83.33 trillion beat the FnGuide consensus of ₩76.96 trillion by about 8%, according to Money Today. The Seoul Economic Daily reported that revenue and operating profit both came in 8% to 9% above brokerage forecasts.
This reverses the Q2 pattern. In July, SK hynix missed operating profit forecasts by about 6% and announced no new shareholder returns, and the stock fell 9.61% on the results day. SK hynix has now set a record for operating profit for six quarters in a row.
What shareholder returns did SK hynix announce?
SK hynix set its total 2026 shareholder return at about ₩100 trillion. That includes the ₩40 trillion buyback announced in August, which was completed the week before the results. The new plan adds about ₩60 trillion:
- Cash dividends: ₩30 trillion or more for 2026
- Buybacks and cancellations: ₩60 trillion or more for 2026, including the August program
- Q3 dividend: ₩20,000 per share, or ₩14 trillion in total. Half is a regular dividend and half is a special dividend funded by gains on its Kioxia investment
- New buyback: ₩20 trillion. About ₩10 trillion of shares will be cancelled; the other ₩10 trillion is for employee pay and does not count toward the return target
The company said it will buy back shares every quarter and return at least 50% of free cash flow. A board decision was flagged in an SK hynix filing on October 26, but a ₩16 trillion special dividend reported by Korean media before the results was not confirmed at that size.
How did SK hynix stock react?
SK hynix traded at ₩1,434,000 at about 10:20 a.m. Seoul time, up 6.94% from the previous close, according to Jaekyung Ilbo. Samsung Electronics rose 7.55% and the KOSPI climbed 5.13% by 10:08 a.m., according to Digital Daily. The Korea Exchange suspended buy-side program trading for five minutes at 9:53 a.m. after KOSPI 200 futures rose 5%, the second day in a row, as reported by Korea JoongAng Daily.
How did SKHYSTOCK_USDT trade on MEXC?
MEXC's SK hynix perpetual futures contract, SKHYSTOCK_USDT (1 contract = 0.01 SKHY), trades 24/7, so it reacted before the Seoul open and before the SKHY ADR trades in New York tonight. The contract closed at 145.95 USDT in the hour to 7:00 a.m. Beijing time, before the results. It was up 2.4% by the Seoul open at 8:00 a.m. Beijing time and reached 155.01 USDT by 11:00 a.m., a gain of 6.2%, close to the 6.94% rise in SK hynix shares in Seoul (MEXC).
After the Q2 results in July, the same contract fell 8.1% within an hour and then swung back above its starting level at the Seoul open. Prices on a 24/7 contract can move sharply when Korea and the US are both closed, because fewer orders are on the book. You can trade the move on the SKHYSTOCK_USDT futures page, and our guide on how to trade stock futures on MEXC covers margin and liquidation.
What did SK hynix say about HBM4 and 2027?
- HBM4: shipments began in earnest in Q3, and HBM4 is expected to pass HBM3E in both shipments and revenue in Q4. The M15X fab will reach full capacity by the end of the year
- Long-term contracts: agreements with 14 major customers cover more than half of production capacity for 2027 and 2028, mostly on five-year terms
- Demand: SK hynix expects memory demand to exceed supply through 2030 and plans to grow revenue and profit further in 2027
- Investment: spending will rise significantly in 2027 as the first Yongin fab starts full operation
SK hynix gave no numerical Q4 guidance. Before the results, the FnGuide consensus for Q4 operating profit was ₩87.27 trillion.
What does SK hynix's result mean for Micron, Samsung and SanDisk?
SK hynix is the first of the big memory makers to report for the July–September quarter, so its numbers set expectations for the rest.
- Micron: rising DRAM prices and long-term contracts covering 2027 and 2028 support the pricing outlook for all three DRAM makers. Micron reported an 80.7% operating margin last quarter, still slightly above SK hynix's 80%, and its next report is due in December. MEXC lists Micron as MUSTOCK_USDT
- Samsung Electronics: reports full Q3 results at 10:00 a.m. Seoul time on October 29. Its HBM4 shipments to NVIDIA and its memory margin will be compared directly with SK hynix's 80%. MEXC lists Samsung as SAMSUNGSTOCK_USDT
- SanDisk: reports after the US close on October 29. SK hynix said sales of its 321-layer eSSD for data centers expanded, which points to strong demand for enterprise NAND, SanDisk's main growth area. See our SanDisk earnings date page for its report time and past reactions
FAQ
When did SK hynix report Q3 2026 earnings?
SK hynix reported Q3 2026 results before the Seoul market opened on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, and held its earnings call at 9:00 a.m. Korea time, which is 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, October 27.
Did SK hynix beat Q3 2026 earnings expectations?
Yes. Operating profit of ₩83.33 trillion beat the FnGuide consensus of ₩76.96 trillion by about 8%, and revenue of ₩104.62 trillion also beat forecasts.
How much is SK hynix's Q3 2026 dividend?
SK hynix will pay ₩20,000 per share for Q3 2026, made up of a ₩10,000 regular dividend and a ₩10,000 special dividend from Kioxia investment gains. The total payout is ₩14 trillion.
Why did SK hynix stock go up after Q3 2026 earnings?
The stock rose because operating profit beat forecasts by about 8% and SK hynix lifted its 2026 shareholder returns to about ₩100 trillion, after investors had sold the shares in July when Q2 missed and no return plan was announced.
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The articles shared on this page are sourced from public platforms and are provided for reference only. They do not represent the position or views of MEXC. All rights belong to James Mitchell. If you believe any content infringes upon the rights of a third party, please contact service@support.mexc.com for prompt removal. MEXC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of any content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be interpreted as a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC. For expert insights and in-depth analysis, visit MEXC Learn.
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