SK Hynix has surpassed Samsung Electronics to become South Korea's most valuable company, with a market capitalization...

SK Hynix has surpassed Samsung Electronics to become South Korea's most valuable company, with a market capitalization of approximately $1.36 trillion, driven by its dominant position in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI (WSJ: link). While Samsung's Galaxy A37 pricing reflects rising memory costs (Digitimes: link), its System LSI business continues to suffer from ongoing SoC losses, dragging down 2026 performance (Digitimes: link). This market cap reversal signals a fundamental shift in investor confidence, favoring SK Hynix's AI-centric memory strategy over Samsung's diversified but underperforming semiconductor portfolio. Samsung's challenges in HBM market share and its struggling SoC division highlight competitive weaknesses that could affect its future earnings and AI infrastructure positioning. The event underscores a broader realignment in the memory market, with Hynix emerging as the primary beneficiary of AI-driven demand.