SK Hynix shares plunge after earnings miss amid tightening memory market

SK Hynix reported second‑quarter 2026 revenue of 79 trillion won (about $55 billion), missing analysts’ expectations of roughly 84 trillion won. The shortfall triggered a 17% drop in the company’s market value and pulled down peers such as Micron and Samsung, highlighting the pressure on DRAM and NAND‑Flash pricing as demand for AI‑driven data centers remains volatile.

In a separate analysis, Goldman Sachs forecast that memory prices could rise sharply through the rest of 2026 and into 2027, projecting up to an 87% year‑over‑year increase for high‑bandwidth memory (HBM) and strong double‑digit growth for conventional DRAM. The outlook attributes the rise to persistent supply constraints, long‑term contracts covering much of server DRAM demand, and limited short‑term competitive pressure from Chinese manufacturers. The combined earnings disappointment and bullish price outlook underscore a volatile environment for the global memory semiconductor sector.