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[News] SK hynix Q1 Profit Soars, Sees 12-layer HBM3E Sales Skyrocketing in Q2, But Flags Tariff Risks for 2H


2025-04-24 Semiconductors editor

SK hynix saw its Q1 operating profit surging 158% year-over-year, fueled by booming AI chip sales and stockpiling ahead of potential U.S. tariffs, as per Reuters. Despite the upbeat results, the South Korean memory giant warns that elevated macro uncertainties like tariff policy could lead to demand swings in the second half of the year, the report adds.

SK hynix stated in a press release that both revenues and operating profit are the 2nd highest records following last quarter when the company achieved its best quarterly results.

Given that HBM supply is locked in a year ahead through mutual agreements, SK hynix is sticking to its forecast that demand will roughly double this year, according to its press release. Riding that wave, sales of its 12-layer HBM3E are expected to soar in Q2, making up over half of total HBM3E revenue, the company suggests.

The HBM leader raked in 7.4 trillion won ($5.19 billion) in operating profit for Q1, more than doubling last year’s 2.9 trillion won and blowing past the 6.6 trillion won average forecast from LSEG SmartEstimate, as per Reuters. Its Q1 sales also grew 42% year-over-year to 17.6 trillion won.

SK hyinx explained that the memory market picked up faster than expected, driven by the AI race and stockpiling. It met the surge with strong sales of high-value products like 12-layer HBM3E and DDR5.

Brushes Off Worries Over CSPs’ AI Spending

Notably, while big CSPs seem to be scaling back on AI investments, SK hynix sees Big Tech’s AI spending staying strong, fueled by the rise of open-source models and national-level “sovereign AI” projects—both set to drive up memory demand, as indicated by CNBC.

According to a previous CNBC report, Amazon has postponed certain commitments related to new data center leases, particularly in overseas markets, implying that large cloud service providers (CSPs) seem to be adopting a more cautious approach to leasing large blocks of power.

For future growth momentum, SK hynix revealed that the company began shipping LPCAMM2—a high-performance memory module for AI PCs—in Q1, and it’s gearing up to supply SOCAMM2, a low-power DRAM for AI servers, once demand kicks into high gear.

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(Photo credit: SK hynix)

Please note that this article cites information from Reuters, CNBC, and SK hynix.

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