In the second quarter of this year, SK hynix and Samsung Electronics have tied for the top spot in terms of sales in the global memory semiconductor market. There is an analysis that the landscape of the overall memory market is changing due to the preemptive effect in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, a core component of artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors.
According to global market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 8th, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix each recorded sales of $15.5 billion (about 21.21 trillion won) in the overall memory market, including DRAM and NAND, in the second quarter, standing shoulder to shoulder.
The recent success of SK hynix was decisive in securing leadership in the HBM market. Riding the momentum of having surpassed Samsung Electronics in the DRAM market for the first time in the first quarter, it has reached an equal position in the overall memory market. Until the first quarter of 2023, SK hynix had recorded a loss of 3.4 trillion won, but subsequently improved production efficiency and strengthened its technology-focused strategy, successfully bouncing back in performance.
Counterpoint Research noted, "SK hynix has started a sharp upward trend based on solid technology, beginning with the world's first mass production of HBM3E (5th generation) in the first quarter of last year," and stated, "In the second quarter of this year, it is competing with Samsung for the top position in the overall memory market."
On the other hand, Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division is experiencing weak performance. Samsung Electronics' operating profit for the second quarter was 4.6 trillion won, a 55.9% decrease compared to the same period last year. Securities analysts estimate that operating profit in the semiconductor institutional sector was only around 500 billion won.
Future competition in the memory market is expected to depend on the demand flow for AI semiconductors and each company's HBM production capabilities. Counterpoint Research projected, "While Samsung Electronics is expected to improve its performance by supplying HBM3E products to AMD and Broadcom in the second half of the year, the shipment from NVIDIA remains uncertain, and strengthened sales regulations toward China will also have a limited impact on the increase in HBM sales."