Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, South Korea’s leading memory chipmakers, are expected to post record sales in the third quarter of this year, driven by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom fueling AI chip demand. SK Hynix is set to surpass Intel in sales for the first time, moving up to third place globally.
The global semiconductor sector’s total revenue, excluding contract manufacturing (foundry), is set to reach $175.87 billion in the third quarter, up 8.5% from the previous quarter, according to market research firm Omdia on Sept. 18.
U.S. tech giant Nvidia is projected to maintain its lead with a revenue of $28.1 billion, representing a 16.0% market share.
Samsung Electronics is forecasted to retain its second-place position with a revenue of $21.712 billion in the semiconductor business, accounting for a 12.3% market share. SK Hynix’s revenue is set to reach $12.834 billion, overtaking Intel and rising to third place with a 7.3% market share. SK Hynix’s growth is driven by increasing demand for high-value-added memory chips, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM), as the AI sector continues to expand.
Intel is expected to drop to fourth place, with forecasted revenue and market share of $12.134 billion and 6.9%, respectively. Broadcom and Qualcomm are projected to secure fifth and sixth place in the global semiconductor market rankings.
