SK Hynix Profit Soars, But Investors Frown; Shares Fall

South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix reported a sharp rise in profit for the second quarter, but the numbers fell short of what analysts had predicted. The company’s shares dropped after the announcement. SK Hynix said its operating profit for the April-to-June period jumped more than 50% compared to the same time last year. This growth was driven by strong demand for high-end memory chips used in artificial intelligence and data centers. However, the profit figure missed market expectations. Analysts had forecast a higher number, which led to disappointment among investors. As a result, SK Hynix shares slid in trading on Thursday. The company warned that the market for traditional memory chips, used in PCs and smartphones, remains weak. It expects this segment to recover only slowly. Despite the miss, SK Hynix remains a key player in the global semiconductor industry, especially as AI-related demand continues to grow.