SK Hynix is set to release its financial results tonight, with a rumor of up to 60 trillion won in shareholder returns drawing attention.

SK Hynix will release its third-quarter 2026 financial results after the U.S. market closes on Tuesday, alongside a new shareholder return plan. Market focus is not only on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) demand and earnings performance, but also whether the company will announce a large-scale special dividend. Other storage manufacturers including Samsung Electronics and Japan’s Kioxia will also report their results in succession. AI infrastructure demand continues to drive an uptick in the storage chip cycle. KB Securities analysts estimate that over 70% of the memory chips South Korea’s two leading storage chip makers plan to produce next year are already covered by five-year supply agreements signed with major tech firms. However, as the market begins to worry about returns on AI capital expenditure and financing costs, investors are paying closer attention to order quality, future demand sustainability, and production expansion pace. On the shareholder return front, South Korean media previously reported that SK Hynix is considering a special dividend of around 16 trillion won (approximately $12 billion); another report noted that the total new shareholder return package could reach up to 60 trillion won (about $45 billion). None of the above figures have been officially confirmed by the company. Earlier, SK Hynix announced it would repurchase and cancel 40 trillion won in treasury stock, and plans to allocate more than 50% of its free cash flow from 2025 to 2027 to shareholder returns. This earnings report and future demand guidance will serve as a key basis for the market to judge whether the AI storage chip supercycle can continue.