Memory 'supercycle' sees equipment makers vying for a share; SK Hynix receives upstream price hike requests - Moomoo

SK Hynix, driven by the HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) boom, has achieved its highest quarterly profit in history, prompting industry speculation about a 'trickle-down effect' where profits from large se... Read original →

SK Hynix’s record 72% operating margin, fueled by HBM demand, is redefining equipment procurement norms. Technically, HBM3E and 3nm logic chips demand more EUV layers and tighter TSV tolerances, forcing equipment vendors into accelerated R&D cycles and higher amortization burdens. On the compliance front, South Korea’s informal 'win-win' policy framework—while non-binding—prioritizes supply chain stability over aggressive cost-cutting. Samsung will likely mirror SK’s cost-pass-through approach to avoid losing equipment allocation priority, while memory makers in Taiwan, China and mainland China remain excluded due to technology gaps. Over the next 18 months, equipment suppliers will leverage capacity bottlenecks to lock in long-term agreements, converting short-term pricing power into structural leverage—marking a strategic shift from cost center to supply chain fulcrum.