SK Hynix to announce steps to boost shareholder returns on Wednesday

SEOUL, Oct 26 : SK Hynix said it will announce shareholder return measures on Wednesday when the South Korean chipmaker releases quarterly results, responding to a report that it is considering a special dividend of about 16 trillion won ($12 billion).

South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo reported on Monday that SK Hynix is considering the special dividend, which will be funded by gains from selling its stake in Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia.

SK Hynix has not publicly disclosed details of the stake sale, which was completed earlier this year, and analysts estimate that it recognised hefty cumulative investment gains.

SK Hynix invested about 4 trillion won in Kioxia in 2018 through a Bain Capital-led consortium of US, Japanese and South Korean investors.

When asked about the media report by the stock exchange operator, SK Hynix said that it is "reviewing various shareholder return measures" and plans to announce them alongside third-quarter earnings on Wednesday. It did not elaborate.

Nvidia suppliers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics have faced growing pressure from investors to return a bigger share of excess cash through dividends or share buybacks after record profits fuelled by booming demand for AI memory chips.

The pressure increased especially after their shares plunged from record highs hit in June, partly on investor concerns over the durability of AI spending by US technology companies.

SK Hynix shares firmed up 0.5 per cent, bucking the wider market that was down 1.3 per cent.

In August, SK Hynix said it will buy back and cancel 40 trillion won of its own shares and allocate more than 50 per cent of free cash flow generated between 2025 and 2027 to boost shareholder returns.

SK Hynix said on Friday it paused a planned US listing for its Solidigm chip unit due to market volatility — a move which also comes after it faced concerns from investors and regulators about the potential listing that had weighed on its shares.