Chipmaking giant SK hynix Inc. has surpassed its biggest rival, Samsung Electronics Inc., for the first time ever in terms of quarterly profit, data showed Tuesday, as its robust sales of artificial intelligence (AI) memory chips pushed up its fourth-quarter figures to record highs.

South Korea's SK Hynix forecast sales of its high-end semiconductors used in generative artificial intelligence chipsets would double this year after reporting a record quarterly profit that surpassed its bigger rival Samsung.

SK hynix is estimated to have surpassed Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS·semiconductor) division operating profit, recording the largest results ever last year. Securities firms projected that SK hynix's operating profit will further increase this year, not lagging behind Samsung Electronics' entire institutional sector.

SK Hynix reports record Q4 earnings, driven by strong AI memory chip sales. Outlook for 2025 dims amid inventory adjustments and geopolitical risks.

SEOUL - South Korea’s SK Hynix on Jan 23 posted a record quarterly profit as the Nvidia supplier saw strong sales of advanced chips such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) used in generative artificial intelligence (AI) chipsets.

SK Hynix is on the brink of potentially overtaking Samsung Electronics in operating profit this year, signaling a historic shift in the domestic semiconductor landscape. Analysts estimate that SK Hynix’s operating profit surpassed that of Samsung’s chip division last year,