SK Hynix ADS Jumps 4.43% On Thursday, Extends Gains in Pre-Market Trade

Aug 21: SK Hynix Inc’s American Depositary Shares (SKHY) were trading higher in pre-market on Friday at $163.8702, up $0.7902, or 0.48 per cent, as of 4:23 am ET. The stock of the semiconductor chip maker, listed on the Nasdaq, showed the bid at $163.71 and the ask at $164.00, with pre-market volume still building at this early hour. The ADS has traded within a 52-week range of $124.80 to $194.80, with Friday’s pre-market levels sitting comfortably within that band. 

Pre-Market Trade 

SK Hynix’s ADS opened pre-market trading with a sharp spike, climbing quickly before holding steady through the early morning hours, based on the stock’s intraday chart. Volume during the pre-market session remained thin, as is typical for this time of day, with the bulk of trading activity likely to pick up once regular hours begin. The early strength followed a robust session on Thursday, when the stock notched one of its sharpest single-day gains in recent months. 

How The Stock Ended on Thursday 

SK Hynix’s ADS closed Thursday’s regular session at $163.08, up $6.92, or 4.43 per cent, at 4 pm ET. The rally pushed the stock further away from its 52-week low of $124.80 and closer to its yearly high of $194.80, reflecting sustained investor interest in the memory chipmaker through 2026. Thursday’s gains came amid a broader recovery in Asian technology stocks and a buyback announcement that added to positive sentiment around the counter. 

SK Hynix Accelerates $28.7 Billion Share Buyback 

SK Hynix said it is accelerating its 40 trillion won, or $28.7 billion, share repurchase and cancellation programme, while expanding shareholder returns to over 50 per cent of cumulative free cash flow generated between 2025 and 2027, according to CNBC. Citi analyst Peter Lee said the initiative is expected to serve as a meaningful floor for the share price, providing tangible downside support in the near term, CNBC reported. Lee added that the buyback also reflects SK Hynix’s confidence in its mid- to long-term growth outlook despite current headwinds facing the broader memory chip sector. The announcement follows the company’s decision earlier this month to invest 54 trillion won in new memory chip manufacturing plants, amid growing demand for components crucial to artificial intelligence. 

Broader Asian Tech, US Cues 

Other technology stocks in Asia also advanced on Thursday, recovering from losses seen a day earlier, CNBC reported. Market sentiment was aided by gains in US stocks, which snapped a three-day losing streak after yields on longer-dated US Treasurys pulled back from multi-year highs. The combination of easing global bond yields and company-specific buyback news gave SK Hynix’s ADS an added tailwind through the session. 

SK Hynix’s Broader 2026 Run 

SK Hynix’s ADS has had a volatile but broadly upward run through 2026, having moved between a 52-week low of $124.80 and a high of $194.80. Thursday’s 4.43 per cent surge marks one of the stock’s stronger single-day moves this year, coming on the back of both the buyback announcement and the company’s separate plan, disclosed earlier this month, to commit 54 trillion won toward new memory chip manufacturing capacity. Together, the capacity expansion and the enlarged shareholder return programme point to a company positioning itself for sustained demand from the artificial intelligence memory chip cycle, even as near-term sector headwinds persist. 

Outlook 

With the stock continuing to trade higher in Friday’s pre-market session, investors will watch whether SK Hynix can sustain Thursday’s momentum once regular trading gets under way. The scale of the buyback programme, alongside the company’s ongoing capacity expansion for AI-related memory chips, positions the stock as one to track closely amid the broader rally in chip-related counters, according to CNBC. 

Investors who are interested in US stocks can check here: https://hdfcsky.com/global-investing 

Source

• https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/stocks/skhy