SK Hynix

Illustration for the chip stocks and memory prices story

Jul 29, 2026 chips money

Chip stocks crash in Seoul while DRAM contract prices climb 20 to 30 percent

On July 28, 2026, the semiconductor selloff turned brutal in Seoul: SK Hynix closed 14.65% lower and Samsung Electronics fell 13.4%, dragging the KOSPI to its biggest one-day drop since March, in the fourth straight losing session for chip stocks globally. Investors were spooked by reports of China's progress on domestic chipmaking equipment including DUV lithography, circular financing unease, and stretched valuations. Meanwhile third-quarter DRAM contracts are settling 20 to 30% higher this month, as AI memory demand keeps prices climbing.

Illustration for the Samsung Yongin fab story

Jul 13, 2026 chips infrastructure

Samsung pulls its first Yongin megafab forward to 2029 on AI memory demand

Samsung Electronics confirmed on July 13, 2026 that it plans to begin operating its first Yongin chip fab in 2029, one to two years ahead of the original 2030-31 schedule, to keep up with surging AI memory demand. The compressed timeline requires site preparation in the second half of 2026 and construction in 2027. The plan surfaced the same day Korean chip stocks had their worst session in years, with SK Hynix down over 15%.

Illustration for the SK Hynix crash story

Jul 13, 2026 chips money

SK Hynix goes from record Nasdaq debut to record 15% crash in one weekend

On Friday, July 10, 2026, SK Hynix ADRs closed their Nasdaq debut up 13%, the largest foreign listing in US history. On Monday, July 13, the company's Seoul shares fell more than 15%, the biggest one-day drop in its history, as profit-taking, a below-consensus Q2 profit forecast and a US-Iran risk-off wave hit at once. Korea's KOSPI plunged 8%, tripping a circuit breaker for the seventh time this year, and Samsung dropped about 10%.