According to a report by Chosun Ilbo, memory chip suppliers including Samsung Electronics and SK hynix have announced plans to hike the prices of HBM3E products by nearly 20% in the coming year.
The report cited industry sources as stating that memory semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will increase the supply prices of HBM3E by close to 20%. This price surge is regarded as an unusual move, given that HBM prices typically decline ahead of the launch of next-generation products. Insiders believe the price hike is driven by increased HBM3E order volumes for next year from AI accelerator manufacturers such as Nvidia, Google, and Amazon.
A semiconductor industry insider commented, "HBM3E has already become the mainstream product in the HBM market this year, and prices were expected to drop slightly when the HBM4 market takes off next year. However, besides Nvidia, other major global tech firms will also roll out AI accelerators equipped with HBM3E next year, leading to sustained growth in HBM3E demand. From the perspective of memory semiconductor companies, they cannot afford to slow down the expansion of HBM4 production capacity. Consequently, a price premium of around 20% has emerged amid a supply shortage relative to demand."
The report noted that as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and other players prioritize the production of HBM4—the next-generation product—HBM3E is on the verge of a supply crunch. A securities researcher pointed out, "HBM4 is projected to account for 55% of the HBM market revenue next year, with HBM3E making up the remaining 45%. Moreover, starting from the third quarter of next year, HBM4 will rapidly siphon off demand for HBM3E."
Against the backdrop of surging HBM demand, the upward price trend for flagship products such as DRAM has also continued, driving up the performance expectations for Samsung Electronics and SK hynix next year.
According to financial information provider FNGuide, the full-year operating profit forecast for Samsung Electronics has been revised upward from KRW 76.6544 trillion a month ago to KRW 85.4387 trillion (approximately RMB 406.005 billion at the current exchange rate). Meanwhile, SK hynix’s operating profit projection has been lifted from KRW 71.4037 trillion to KRW 76.1434 trillion (approximately RMB 361.833 billion at the current exchange rate) over the same period.
(Reprinted from https://news.eccn.com/）