SK Hynix Shares Drop Nearly 8% After Stellar Nasdaq Debut as Investors Book Profits

SK Hynix's American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) declined sharply in their first full trading session on Nasdaq, as investors locked in gains following the South Korean memory chipmaker's high-profile US market debut. Despite the pullback, the stock continues to trade above its initial offering price, underscoring sustained investor interest in one of the world's leading AI chip manufacturers.

Profit Booking Follows Strong Listing Rally

SK Hynix's US-listed shares fell nearly 8 per cent on Monday after an impressive Nasdaq debut, as investors moved to book profits following one of the largest overseas listings by an Asian company.

According to Nasdaq market data, the company's ADRs, trading under the ticker SKHY, were quoted at around USD 157.28, down almost 8 per cent from Friday's closing price of USD 168.01.

The ADRs were priced at USD 149 each before listing on Friday. They opened at USD 170 and ended their debut session at USD 168.01, delivering a first-day gain of approximately 12.8 per cent over the offer price.

Although Monday's decline wiped out a significant portion of those gains, the stock continued to trade above its IPO price.

During Monday's session, the ADRs traded between USD 152.37 and USD 162.28, after touching an intraday high above USD 170 during their debut. At the latest quoted price of around USD 157.28, SK Hynix was valued at approximately KRW 1,314.9 trillion (about USD 945 billion).

Massive Fundraising and AI Market Position

The decline followed SK Hynix's successful completion of one of the largest overseas equity offerings ever by an Asian company. The chipmaker raised more than USD 26 billion through its ADR issuance before making a strong Nasdaq debut.

The company began regular trading on Nasdaq under the ticker SKHY on Monday after initially trading on a when-issued basis under SKHYV following Friday's listing.

The stock also came under pressure as investors turned more cautious toward AI-related semiconductor companies listed on Nasdaq after the sector's sharp rally this year.

AI Demand Continues to Support Long-Term Outlook

Despite the post-listing decline, SK Hynix remains one of the world's most significant beneficiaries of the AI boom.

The South Korean company is the world's leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, a critical component used in AI accelerators, and counts Nvidia among its major customers.

Its Nasdaq listing is expected to improve access for international investors seeking exposure to AI-focused semiconductor companies, further strengthening its global investor base.

(With inputs from ANI)