Samsung Market Value Tops $1.39 Trillion for First Time, Closing In on Meta

Samsung shares jump 6% as chip rally rolls on

Market value doubles in four months after topping 1,000 trillion won

Average target price rises from 290,000 won to 390,417 won in a month

SK Hynix grows to more than 80% of Samsung’s size

“Chip duo could both join the $2 trillion club”

Samsung Electronics Co.’s market capitalization, including preferred shares, topped 2,000 trillion won ($1.385 trillion) for the first time on May 29. The stock surged as geopolitical concerns eased amid rising prospects for an end to hostilities between the US and Iran. Shares also got a boost after Samsung said it had become the first company to begin shipping samples of seventh-generation high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, and reports said it had invested in Anthropic, the artificial intelligence company behind Claude. SK Hynix Inc. also extended gains, underscoring strong investor appetite for chipmakers.

‘2,000-Trillion-Won Samsung’ in Four Months

Samsung rose 5.84% to close at 317,000 won on the Kospi on May 29. Its preferred shares climbed 6.08% to 202,500 won. The Kospi index advanced 3.55% to a record 8,476.15, lifted by Samsung’s rally.

Samsung’s combined market capitalization moved above 2,000 trillion won as both common and preferred shares surged. Its common shares were valued at 1,853.2703 trillion won, while preferred shares stood at 162.4801 trillion won. That put the total at 2,015.7504 trillion won. It was the first time Samsung’s market value had closed above the 2,000 trillion-won mark. The stock briefly crossed that threshold during trading on May 27, but profit-taking left the company with a closing value in the 1,900 trillion-won range.

Samsung’s market value has continued to climb sharply. After topping 1,000 trillion won at the end of January, it doubled in about four months. There is growing optimism that Samsung’s common shares alone will soon exceed 2,000 trillion won in market capitalization. Converted into dollars, Samsung was worth about $1.385 trillion on May 29, ranking 11th globally and narrowing the gap with No. 10 Meta Platforms Inc., at $1.612 trillion.

Samsung’s jump followed its announcement that it had become the first company to start shipping samples of seventh-generation HBM, a core component in the AI ecosystem. The move came after it began mass production of sixth-generation HBM in February, reinforcing confidence in its technological edge. Reports that Samsung had invested in Anthropic also supported sentiment. News reports that talks on ending the conflict between Iran and the US had made progress further improved risk appetite.

Institutional investors were net buyers of 1.6653 trillion won of Samsung shares. Foreign investors sold 324 billion won of common shares, but bought an additional 257 billion won of preferred shares. Retail investors sold both common shares, at 1.3328 trillion won, and preferred shares, at 304.7 billion won. At the same time, a leveraged exchange-traded fund tied solely to Samsung stock posted net buying of about 260 billion won.

SK Hynix Also Rapidly Gains on Samsung

SK Hynix, the country’s second-most valuable company, also continued to narrow the gap with Samsung. The stock rose 1.92% to 2.333 million won on May 29. Its market capitalization reached 1,662.7346 trillion won, swelling by nearly 1,200 trillion won this year.

SK Hynix has risen faster than Samsung this year. Samsung shares have gained 164.39%, while SK Hynix has jumped 258.37%. A year ago, SK Hynix’s market value was just 41.74% of Samsung’s, including preferred shares. By May 29, it had grown to more than 80% of Samsung’s size.

Unlike Samsung, which has a diversified portfolio spanning smartphones and home appliances, SK Hynix has a heavier concentration in memory chips. That has allowed it to benefit more directly from the boom in AI semiconductors.

Brokerages broadly expect both stocks to rise further. According to AI-based investment information service Epic AI, Samsung’s average target price has been raised 34.02% over the past month to 390,417 won from 290,000 won. SK Hynix’s average target rose 41.08% over the same period to 2.41375 million won from 1.71087 million won.

The highest target prices are 570,000 won for Samsung and 3.8 million won for SK Hynix. If those targets are reached, Samsung’s market value would expand to about 3,800 trillion won, while SK Hynix would climb to 2,770 trillion won, putting both companies in position to join the $2 trillion club.

Kang Jin-kyu / Cho A-ra, Hankyung.com reporters josep@hankyung.com