SK Square Co., Ltd. invests in semiconductor and information and communication technologies across South Korea, China, Asia, the United States, and Europe. The company was founded in 2021 and is headquartered in Icheon-si, South Korea.
SK Hynix Falls 4% on Report of Potential $100 Billion Solidigm IPO
SK Hynix shares fell about 4% in early Monday trading after reports that its U.S.-based storage subsidiary Solidigm is exploring an initial public offering that could take place as early as next year and value the business at up to $100 billion. The proposed listing drew attention to SK Hynix's ownership structure, with investor groups cited by Bloomberg saying a public offering could add another layer to the company's corporate hierarchy, a development some governance advocates have previously opposed. The reaction spread across the broader SK Group, as SK Square, the largest shareholder of SK Hynix, dropped more than 8%, while SK Inc., which controls SK Square, retreated more than 6%. Solidigm was formed after SK Hynix acquired Intel's NAND flash and storage business and now supplies storage products used in data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company is evaluating strategic options to strengthen competitiveness, though SK Hynix has said no final decision has been made regarding a listing.
Semiconductors › Memory — DRAM, NAND & HBM Capital
000660.KO · Capital · Negative Report of a potential up-to-$100B Solidigm IPO adds a layer to SK Hynix's corporate hierarchy, a governance concern that drove its shares down 4%.
402340.KO · Capital · Negative SK Square, SK Hynix's largest shareholder, dropped more than 8% on the Solidigm IPO report and the added corporate-hierarchy layer.
034730.KO · Capital · Negative SK Inc. fell over 6% as the Solidigm IPO report and governance concerns spread across SK Group affiliates.
Seoul Stocks Surge 17.91%, Shattering Record for Strongest Single-Day Gain on Chip Stock Strength
South Korea's composite stock index closed up 1,001.89 points, or 17.91%, at 6,595.45, marking the strongest single-day surge in history and shattering the previous record of an 11.95% jump on October 30, 2008. The rally was fueled by strength in semiconductor stocks after Microsoft reported better-than-expected second-quarter 2026 earnings, with both sales and cloud computing growth exceeding forecasts. Samsung Electronics soared 26.81%, SK hynix surged 29.95%, Hanmi Semiconductor jumped 27.98%, and SK Square climbed 29.91%. Automaker and shipbuilder stocks also posted strong gains, with Hyundai Motor up 10.54% and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries rising 7.37%.
South Korea's KOSPI surges 4.7% at one point, rebounding from April low on foreign buying of semiconductor stocks
South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index surged as much as 4.7% during trading on the 21st, rebounding from its lowest level since April. The index had fallen as much as 1.3% in early trading before turning higher. Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and SK Square were the biggest contributors to the gains, with foreign and domestic institutional investors mainly net buying tech stocks while retail investors were net sellers. According to Sean Oh of NH Investment Securities, South Korea's exports in the first 20 days of July hit a record high, with semiconductor exports surging 180.6% year-on-year to 22.11 billion dollars, accounting for 40.3% of total exports, which boosted semiconductor shares. JPMorgan strategists maintained an overweight rating on South Korean stocks, setting a 12-month base target of 12,500 for the KOSPI, citing a bullish AI cycle and fundamentals. The Kosdaq index of smaller companies also reversed early losses, rising as much as 0.8%.
South Korea ruling party proposes law change to ease SK Hynix capital raising for fabs
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party of Korea has proposed amending a law to allow chipmaker SK Hynix to set up joint ventures with outside investors to build factories. The current law on strategic industries with cutting-edge technologies forbids a subsidiary of a subsidiary from such moves, directly affecting SK Hynix, which is a unit of SK Square under SK Inc. If passed, the amendment would let SK Hynix attract outside capital for new fabs while retaining at least a 50% stake. The lawmakers said fast construction of fabs is needed to compete globally and that traditional capital raising is insufficient, with SK Hynix having raised 26.5 billion dollars in a U.S. share sale last week but expected to need far more funds. The proposed change also requires any new venture to have its headquarters outside the greater Seoul area to stimulate regional economies.
000660.KO · Regulation · Positive Proposed law change would allow SK Hynix to set up JVs with outside investors for fab construction, easing capital raising.
402340.KO · Regulation · Positive SK Square is the direct parent of SK Hynix; the law change would remove a restriction on its subsidiary's ability to raise capital.
034730.KO · Regulation · Positive As parent of SK Square, which owns SK Hynix, the amendment could benefit SK Holdings indirectly through subsidiary's eased capital access.
SK Hynix debuts on Nasdaq with $26.5 billion listing
SK Hynix is set to debut on the Nasdaq with a $26.5 billion listing, marking the payoff of a risky bet by South Korean billionaire Chey Tae-won. Chey's SK Group acquired the then loss-making Hynix in 2012 and invested heavily in high-bandwidth memory chips, a niche technology that later became critical for Nvidia's AI accelerators. The wager helped SK Hynix become the world's largest producer of HBM chips, with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang calling SK its largest memory partner. Chey, who is not a direct shareholder of SK Hynix but controls a stake through SK Inc and SK Square, has an estimated wealth of $5.4 billion according to Forbes. The listing comes amid concerns that AI-driven memory demand may not keep pace with soaring prices and expansion plans.
000660.KO · Capital · Positive SK Hynix debuts on Nasdaq with a $26.5 billion listing, a major financial event that validates its turnaround and growth.
034730.KO · Capital · Positive SK Holdings controls a stake in SK Hynix, and the successful listing enhances the value of its investment.
402340.KO · Capital · Positive SK Square controls a stake in SK Hynix, and the listing increases the value of its holdings.
NVDA · Demand · Positive SK Hynix is Nvidia's largest HBM memory partner, and the listing underscores the strong AI-driven demand for HBM chips used in Nvidia's accelerators.
Asia’s Tech Stocks Tumble as Apple and Microsoft Pass AI Chip Costs to Consumers
Asian technology stocks fell sharply on Friday after Apple and Microsoft raised product prices, confirming that soaring AI chip costs are now hitting consumers. SoftBank Group dropped more than 12%, leading a broad selloff, while South Korea’s KOSPI fell from its June 25 close of 8,930.31 to around 8,600 in early trading. Apple increased prices on MacBooks and iPads by up to $300, citing surging memory and storage chip costs driven by AI data center demand, and its shares closed more than 6% lower. Microsoft followed with Xbox console price increases of $100 to $150 per model, effective August 1, and its stock fell 3.5%. In Asia, SK Hynix and Samsung fell more than 4%, SK Square declined around 7%, Advantest dropped more than 6%, and Tokyo Electron fell over 2%. SoftBank faced additional pressure as its chip design subsidiary Arm Holdings fell 3.2% overnight, and analysts noted that reports of OpenAI potentially delaying its IPO to 2027 could cap investor enthusiasm for SoftBank, a prominent backer.
9984.JP · Demand · Negative SoftBank dropped 12% as AI chip cost pass-through hits tech stocks; also pressured by Arm's decline and OpenAI IPO delay.
9984.JP · Capital · Negative SoftBank dropped 12% due to Arm's decline and reports that OpenAI may delay its IPO, dampening investor enthusiasm.
AAPL · Pricing · Negative Apple raised MacBook and iPad prices by up to $300, citing surging chip costs, and its shares fell 6%.
MSFT · Pricing · Negative Microsoft raised Xbox prices by $100-$150, effective August 1, and its stock fell 3.5%.
000660.KO · Demand · Negative Apple and Microsoft raising prices due to high memory chip costs may reduce consumer demand for memory, hurting SK Hynix.
005930.KO · Demand · Negative Apple and Microsoft raising prices due to high memory chip costs may reduce consumer demand for memory, hurting Samsung.
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