SK Hynix Completes 40 Trillion Won Share Buyback One Month Ahead of Schedule
nashnova research
SK Hynix finished its ₩40 trillion share buyback a month ahead of schedule, setting a Korean record for buyback-and-cancel size; but with both semiconductor giants' buying now done, the Korean market loses two key pillars of support.
How big is this buyback?
SK Hynix completed the repurchase on October 21 — roughly one month before the November 19 deadline, after just two months of buying.
The company bought back 24.07 million shares, about 3.3% of outstanding stock, spending ₩40.04 trillion in total.
This means → it is the largest-ever buyback-and-cancel by a Korean listed company. Every repurchased share will be retired permanently.
In plain terms = the company spent roughly $29 billion buying its own stock off the market and destroying it — fewer shares outstanding, more value per share.
How did the market react?
After the announcement, SK Hynix's American depositary receipts (ADRs) rose 2.24%.
This reflects investor approval of both the scale and the speed — finishing early is itself a positive signal.
Both giants done buying — what happens to Korean equities?
Samsung Electronics had already spent roughly ₩15 trillion buying back 56.85 million shares between August 24 and October 6.
Combined, the two firms repurchased more than ₩55 trillion in stock, providing critical buying support while foreign investors were selling Korean equities heavily.
This means → with both buyback programs now finished, the two largest sources of domestic buying power have stepped away. Whether the Korean market can stay stable depends on new buyers stepping in.
What comes next?
SK Hynix plans to report Q3 earnings on the 28th of this month, and will announce an additional shareholder-return plan at the same time.
This means → the market's focus has already shifted from "how big was the buyback" to "what's next" — if the new plan beats expectations, it could partly offset the loss of buyback-driven buying support.
市场有风险，内容仅供研究参考，不构成投资建议。