TLDR
- Samsung and SK Hynix shares jumped 10–13% on Wednesday after steep March losses
- The KOSPI index rose over 8%, recovering from a 19%+ drop last month
- Hopes for a quick end to the Middle East conflict boosted investor sentiment
- Both chipmakers lost 23–24% in March over war fears and AI memory demand concerns
- A Wall Street rally overnight, triggered by Trump’s comments on Iran, helped lift markets
Samsung Electronics shares climbed 13% to 189,600 won on Wednesday, while SK Hynix gained around 11% to 893,000 won. The gains came after both stocks suffered heavy losses throughout March.
The South Korean KOSPI index rose 8.4% to 5,478.70, helped largely by the rebound in the two chipmakers. In March, the index had fallen over 19%.
Both companies lost around 23–24% last month. A big reason was investor worry about the Middle East conflict, which raised fears of higher production costs and supply chain disruptions.
Concern also grew over long-term demand for memory chips used in artificial intelligence. Google unveiled an algorithm it claimed could cut AI’s memory requirements, which weighed on the sector.
Markets also began to speculate that memory chip prices could fall after OpenAI made spending cuts. The company shut down its video generation model, Sora, as part of those moves.
AI Deal with OpenAI in Focus
In late 2025, OpenAI signed a deal with Samsung and SK Hynix to source 900,000 DRAM wafers from the two companies. That deal had been a key driver of optimism for both stocks.
Both chipmakers had benefited from rising memory chip prices through late 2025, as markets expected strong AI demand to outpace supply. The recent pullback reversed some of those gains.
Kiwoom Securities analyst Han Ji-young said bargain-hunting drove Wednesday’s rebound, as large-cap stocks had fallen sharply enough to attract buyers back in.
“The stock market is highly likely to enter a recovery phase rather than experience further decline,” Han wrote in a note to clients.
Middle East Ceasefire Hopes Lift Sentiment
Sentiment improved after President Trump said on Tuesday that the U.S. would leave Iran within two to three weeks. He made the comments to reporters at the White House.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also said Tehran was ready to end the conflict, though he asked for unspecified guarantees in return.
Those comments sparked a rally on Wall Street overnight, which carried over into Asian markets on Wednesday morning.
Samsung shares ended the session at 189,600 won, equivalent to around $125.83. SK Hynix closed at 893,000 won.
The KOSPI closed at 5,478.70, up 8.4% for the day.
Both Samsung and SK Hynix remain down sharply from their levels before March’s selloff.
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