SK Hynix and Micron Join Samsung in Trillion-Dollar Valuations

SK Hynix and Micron Technology both surpassed a $1 trillion market capitalization between May 26 and May 27, 2026. This surge follows a similar milestone reached by Samsung Electronics in early May, making them the first three companies to dominate the global memory chip market at this valuation level. The rally was driven by intense demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips essential for artificial intelligence infrastructure and Nvidia chipsets.

SK Hynix reached a valuation of approximately $1.12 trillion after its shares jumped up to 15%, while Micron shares surged nearly 19%. These valuations contributed to a record high for South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index. In the broader sector, memory chip prices doubled in the first quarter as supply shortages strained capacities for automobiles, laptops, and smartphones.

Internal tensions rose at Samsung Electronics, where unionized workers threatened an 18-day strike over bonus disparities; SK Hynix workers may receive bonuses up to $900,000, while Samsung employees could receive $400,000. The strike threat ended after workers approved a tentative wage agreement. Meanwhile, Royal Bank of Canada analysts warned that the extreme concentration of these tech giants in South Korea's equity market leaves the broader index exposed to significant volatility and downside risks if the AI rally corrects.