- Reports first quarterly profit in a year, backed by demand recovery, industry rebound
- Revenues for 2023 at 32.77 trillion won, operating loss at 7.73 trillion won
- Aims to grow into ‘total AI memory provider’ of optimal memory solutions
Seoul, January 25, 2024
SK hynix Inc. (or “the company”, www.skhynix.com) announced today that it recorded an operating profit of 346 billion won in the fourth quarter of last year amid a recovery of the memory chip market, marking the first quarter of profit following four straight quarters of losses.
The company posted revenues of 11.31 trillion won, operating profit of 346 billion won (operating profit margin at 3%), and net loss of 1.38 trillion won (net profit margin at negative 12%) for the three months ended December 31, 2023. (Based on K-IFRS)
SK hynix said that the overall memory market conditions improved in the last quarter of 2023 with demand for AI server and mobile applications increasing and average selling price (ASP) rising. “We recorded the first quarterly profit in a year following efforts to focus on profitability,” it said.
The financial results of the last quarter helped narrow the operating loss for the entire year to 7.73 trillion won (operating profit margin at negative 24%) and net loss to 9.14 trillion won (with net profit margin at negative 28%). The revenues were 32.77 trillion won.
SK hynix said that sales of its main products, DDR5 and HBM3, increased by more than four and five times, respectively, compared with a year earlier, as the company took advantage of its market-leading technology in the DRAM space to actively respond to customer demand. In the NAND space, where a recovery is relatively slow, the company prioritized streamlining investments and costs.
SK hynix will now proceed with mass production of HBM3E, a main AI memory product, and ongoing development of HBM4 smoothly, while supplying high-performance, high-capacity products such as DDR5 and LPDDR5T to server and mobile markets in a timely manner, to meet increasing demand for high-performance DRAM.
The company also plans to make its technological leadership stronger by preparing high-capacity server module MCRDIMM1 and mobile module LPCAMM22 to respond to ever-increasing demand for AI server and on-device AI adoption.
1MCR DIMM (Multiplexer Combined Ranks Dual In-line Memory Module):A module product with multiple DRAMs bonded to a motherboard, in which two ranks, basic information processing units, operate simultaneously, resulting in improved speed
2LPCAMM2 (Low Power Compression Attached Memory Module 2):LPDDR5X-based module solution that provides power efficiency and high performance as well as space savings. It has the performance effect of replacing two existing DDR5 SODIMMs with one LPCAMM2
For NAND, the company aims to continue to improve profitability and stabilize the business by expanding sales of premium products such as eSSD.
For the year of 2024, SK hynix will focus on improving profitability and efficiency through sales of value-added products, while minimizing an increase in capital expenditure for a stable operation of the business.
“We achieved a remarkable turnaround, marking the first operating profit in the fourth quarter following a protracted downturn, thanks to our technological leadership in the AI memory space,” said Kim Woohyun, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at SK hynix. “We are now ready to grow into a total AI memory provider by leading changes and presenting customized solutions as we enter an era for a new leap forward.”
■ FY2023 Financial Results (K-IFRS)
| Unit: Billion KRW |
2023 |
2022 |
YoY |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Revenues |
32,766 |
44,622 |
-27% |
Operating
|
-7,730 |
6,809 |
(turn to loss) |
Operating
|
-24% |
15% |
-39%p |
Net
|
-9,138 |
2,242 |
(turn to loss) |
■ FY2023 4Q Financial Results (K-IFRS)
| Unit: Billion KRW |
2023 4Q |
2023 3Q |
QoQ |
2022 4Q |
YoY |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Revenues |
11,306 |
9,066 |
25% |
7,672 |
47% |
Operating
|
346 |
-1,792 |
(turn to profit) |
-1,912 |
(turn to profit) |
Operating
|
3% |
-20% |
23%p |
-25% |
28%p |
Net
|
-1,380 |
-2,185 |
37% |
-3,735 |
63% |
※ Financial information of the earnings is based on K-IFRS
※ Please note that the financial results discussed herein are preliminary and speak only as of January 25, 2024. Readers should not assume that this information remains operative at a later time.
“These materials are not an offer for sale of the securities of SK hynix Inc. in the United States. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. SK hynix Inc. does not intend to register any offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States.”
About SK hynix Inc.
SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world’s top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips (“DRAM”), flash memory chips (“NAND flash”) and CMOS Image Sensors (“CIS”) for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company’s shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.
Media Contact
SK hynix Inc.
Global Public Relations
Technical Leader
Sooyeon Lee
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com
Technical Leader
Kanga Kong
E-Mail: global_newsroom@skhynix.com
