SK Hynix Hits Record High on Nvidia AI Pact and Nasdaq Ambitions, Leaving Samsung in the Dust

SK Hynix hits all-time high as foreign investors dump Samsung; Nvidia partnership and planned U.S. listing fuel the AI-driven rally in South Korea's chip sector.

The gap between South Korea’s two semiconductor giants has rarely been wider. International investors piled into SK Hynix shares on Wednesday while simultaneously dumping Samsung Electronics stock in a stark demonstration of how the AI boom is reshaping capital flows across Asia’s chip sector.

SK Hynix climbed nearly 6% to close at 2,521,000 Korean won — a fresh all-time high that also nudged the broader KOSPI index to a historic closing level of its own. The rally adds to a stunning year-to-date gain of 272%, a figure that underlines the market’s shifting view of the memory chip maker from cyclical commodity player to direct AI beneficiary.

Divergent Trade: Buy SK Hynix, Sell Samsung

The day’s trading volumes told a clear story. Foreign investors scooped up a net 195.5 billion won of SK Hynix stock while offloading more than 670 billion won of Samsung Electronics shares. The divergence is striking because both companies dominate the domestic electronics landscape, yet investors are drawing sharp lines between them.

The catalyst dates back to early June, when SK Hynix and Nvidia announced a multi-year technology partnership. Under the deal, the Korean company will develop memory chips for Nvidia’s upcoming Vera Rubin line of AI supercomputers. Collaboration also extends to CPUs and robotics platforms, positioning SK Hynix as a direct supplier to the global AI infrastructure buildout rather than a simple cyclical memory maker.

Looking West: Nasdaq Listing in the Works

Adding to the momentum is SK Hynix’s plan to list American Depositary Receipts on the Nasdaq exchange. The move would dramatically widen its investor base just as U.S. buyers are aggressively chasing AI-related equities. While no official filing has been made, market participants expect any formal application to act as the next hard catalyst for the stock.

Wednesday’s trading session initially opened nearly 2% lower, but buyers stepped in quickly to reverse the dip. The resulting close leaves the stock just a hair below its 52-week high, though technical signs suggest the ascent has been rapid. The relative strength index now sits at 68.5, inching toward overbought territory, and the share price trades more than 50% above its 50-day moving average. Annualized volatility has surged past 98%, reflecting the extraordinary speed of the move.

With the Nvidia partnership providing a fundamental anchor and a U.S. listing offering a fresh growth narrative, SK Hynix continues to outpace its domestic rival. The question now is whether the current pace can hold — and whether the next leg up will arrive via a formal Nasdaq application.