S&P Global Ratings has moved SK Hynix up to a BBB+ credit rating and assigned a positive outlook, citing projections of markedly stronger operating results over the next one to two years. The upgrade reflects S&P's view that market dynamics and SK Hynix's position in key product segments will drive sizeable top-line and cash-flow improvements.
Central to S&P's assessment is an expectation of rapid growth in sales of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) chips, which carry higher margins than many conventional memory products. The rating agency also flagged persistent supply shortages across memory markets that it expects will push already elevated prices even higher. S&P projects that demand tied to artificial intelligence applications will lift memory chip bit growth by roughly 20%.
On a financial forecast basis, S&P models SK Hynix's revenue rising to Korean won (KRW) 162 trillion in 2026 and KRW 179 trillion in 2027. EBITDA is projected at KRW 112 trillion in 2026 and KRW 116 trillion in 2027, up sharply from 2025 figures of KRW 97 trillion in revenue and KRW 61 trillion in EBITDA.
The agency expects SK Hynix to retain a leading market share in HBM products - a position it says the company has held for at least five years. S&P highlights SK Hynix's advantages in packaging technology and product innovation as factors likely to preserve that leadership versus competitors.
Demand-side support for HBMs, server DRAM, and enterprise solid-state drives is expected to come from increased spending by major cloud service providers, according to S&P. The rating agency cautioned that shipments to PCs and mobile phones may decline in 2026 as memory prices rise, but it nonetheless sees the broader supply-demand imbalance sustaining high prices through at least 2028.
From a cash-flow perspective, S&P forecasts operating cash flow of KRW 82 trillion in 2026 and KRW 93 trillion in 2027. Those amounts would substantially exceed the company's planned capital expenditures of KRW 40 trillion in 2026 and KRW 46 trillion in 2027, allowing SK Hynix to accumulate cash while maintaining what S&P characterizes as disciplined financial policies.
S&P identified potential downside scenarios, including intensified competition in the HBM segment and reduced spending by cloud service providers, either of which could weaken demand and pressure pricing. The agency also set out a potential upside path: it said it could consider another rating increase if SK Hynix sustains its competitive position and financial prudence to the point of accumulating net cash of KRW 50 trillion.
Summary takeaway - S&P raised SK Hynix's rating to BBB+ with a positive outlook based on projected strong HBM sales, elevated memory pricing amid supply tightness, and significant free cash-flow generation that outpaces planned capital spending.
Contextual notes - S&P's forecasts include revenue of KRW 162 trillion in 2026 and KRW 179 trillion in 2027, EBITDA of KRW 112 trillion and KRW 116 trillion for those years, and operating cash flow of KRW 82 trillion and KRW 93 trillion respectively. Planned capex is KRW 40 trillion in 2026 and KRW 46 trillion in 2027. The agency expects high prices to persist through at least 2028.