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SK hynix valuation exercise: market cap, EV and multiples vs competitors

Memory chips. We rebuild its market value from the price, split it into its parts, and compare its multiples with those of its largest competitors.

Verified figures, not advice. Every number on this page comes from the company's own filings or from exchange prices, and the source is linked. Every calculation is shown, so you can repeat it. What we do not do is tell you what a share should be worth or whether to buy it: that depends on your goals and on forecasts, and no multiple can settle it. This is a snapshot: prices of 12 Oct 2026, company results up to mid 2026. Found a mistake? Tell us and we correct it.

Step 1. Market capitalisation

StepNumberWhere it comes from
Share price (nominal value)
$162.23
Close of 12 Oct 2026
Shares outstanding
7.29 bn
Latest report or filing, as of 2026-08-19
Market capitalisation
$1.18tn
Price x shares

Market capitalisation is the value the stock market puts on all the shares together. It is the nominal share price multiplied by the number of shares.

Step 2. How the value is composed

Building blockAmountMeaning
Market capitalisation
$1.18tn
What the market asks for all the shares
+ Debt
$13.9bn
Borrowings, leases for premises excluded
- Cash
$20.1bn
Cash and equivalents
- Short-term investments
$45.8bn
Marketable securities due within a year
+ Minority interests
$0.2bn
Part of subsidiaries owned by others
Enterprise value (EV)
$1.13tn
The price of the whole business, as a buyer would see it

Of the $1.18tn market value, accounting book equity is $196.8bn. The remaining $985.6bn is what investors pay above the books: brands, software, customer relationships and expected growth that the balance sheet does not record. Price to book is 6.0x.

Step 3. Fundamentals, last twelve months

Last twelve monthsAmountMargin or note
Revenue
$141.9bn
Up to 2026-06-30
Operating income
$96.5bn
68% of revenue
EBITDA
$107.7bn
76% of revenue
Net income (GAAP)
$121.5bn
86% of revenue
Free cash flow
$67.8bn
Operating cash flow minus capital spending

Step 4. Multiples against the largest competitors

MultipleSK hynixMUWDCPeer meanPeer medianvs median
P/E (price / net income)
9.7x
13.2x
15.0x
14.1x
14.1x
-31%
EV / sales
8.0x
8.1x
10.8x
9.4x
9.4x
-16%
EV / EBITDA
10.5x
9.9x
28.8x
19.4x
19.4x
-46%
EV / operating income
11.7x
10.9x
31.2x
21.0x
21.0x
-44%
P / free cash flow
17.4x
19.0x
39.7x
29.4x
29.4x
-41%

Context: SK hynix earns an EBITDA margin of 76%. The peers earn 82%, 37% (median 60%). A company that keeps more of each dollar of sales often trades at a higher multiple.

Micron and Western Digital are the closest listed comparisons. SK hynix is traded in the US as an ADS (1 share = 10 ADS) and reports in won under IFRS.

What the comparison shows

  • EV / EBITDA: 10.5x against a peer median of 19.4x (mean 19.4x). Difference to the median: -46%.
  • EV / sales: 8.0x against a peer median of 9.4x (mean 9.4x). Difference: -16%.
  • P/E: 9.7x against a peer median of 14.1x. Difference: -31%.

These are descriptions of today's prices, not forecasts. "n.m." means not meaningful, for example negative profit.

Where the comparison is distorted

  • Net income of $121bn includes about $57bn of one-time gains on financial instruments and dividends, so operating income of $96.5bn is the cleaner measure. SK hynix reports in won, converted here at one rate (1,333 per dollar, 12 Oct 2026). The US listing started in July 2026 and no US annual report exists yet.
  • Micron fiscal year ended in September 2026.
  • Western Digital net income includes a $6.5bn gain on its retained Sandisk stake.

Sources

Prices of 12 Oct 2026 from exchange historical data. Share counts, debt, cash and results from each company's filings, read on 13 and 14 October 2026. Foreign companies are converted at one stated rate.

SK hynix Inc. (SKHY)
  • sec.gov (ADS ratio)
  • sec.gov (H1 2026 / H1 2025 statements, balance sheet 2026-06-30, shar)
  • sec.gov (17,790,000 new shares issued to depositary)
  • sec.gov (total issued shares 730,492,365 and planned cancellation of )
  • sec.gov (treasury shares held before buyback)
  • sec.gov (EDGAR filing index)
  • data-api.ecb.europa.eu (FX KRW/USD 2026-10-12)
Micron Technology, Inc. (MU)
Western Digital Corporation (WDC)

Questions people ask

Does a higher multiple than competitors mean the share is overvalued?

No. It means investors pay more per dollar of sales or profit. The reason can be faster growth, higher margins or lower risk, or it can be excess optimism. A multiple gap is a question to investigate, not an answer.

Why use enterprise value and not only market cap?

Market cap prices the shares only. Enterprise value adds debt and subtracts cash, so it compares the whole business regardless of how it is financed.

Why show both the mean and the median of competitors?

The mean is pulled up by one extreme value. The median is the middle value and resists outliers. When they differ a lot, trust the median more.

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