Samsung and SK Hynix shareholders want a bigger slice of the AI boom

South Korea’s two largest memory chipmakers are swimming in cash, and their shareholders have noticed. Investors in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are turning up the pressure for bigger dividends and share buybacks, arguing that record profits from artificial intelligence demand should translate into meaningful returns, not just ambitious reinvestment plans. The timing is pointed. Both companies posted strong quarterly results in July 2026, fueled by explosive demand for high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI accelerators. SK Hynix alone reported a 557% year-over-year jump in Q2 2026 operating profit, driven almost entirely by HBM demand. Yet both stocks sold off sharply after earnings, with Samsung down roughly 37% from its June peaks and SK Hynix off approximately 48%. A cash pile that would make most countries blush The combined projected net cash position of Samsung and SK Hynix is expected to reach $263 billion by the end of 2026. For context, that figure dwarfs Nvidia’s estimated cash reserves of around $102 billion, despite Nvidia being the company most investors associate with the AI hardware wave. Currently, both companies target returning around 50% of free cash flow to...