Samsung, SK hynix could deliver record $212 bil. in shareholder returns: reports

With Samsung Electronics and SK hynix expected to unveil new shareholder return plans as early as this month, analysts estimate that the two chipmakers could together return as much as 300 trillion won ($212 billion) to investors. Record second-quarter earnings — 89.5 trillion won in operating profit at Samsung and 60.5 trillion won at SK hynix — have strengthened their ability to reward shareholders. The prospect of outsized payouts is also raising hopes that the two stocks, which together account for more than half of the benchmark KOSPI’s total market capitalization, could help rekindle the broader Korean market rally. Samsung has pledged to return half of its free cash flow under its 2024-26 shareholder return policy, while SK hynix similarly plans to allocate 50 percent of its free cash flow generated from 2025 through 2027 to shareholders. That could leave Samsung with as much as 200 trillion won and SK hynix with up to 100 trillion won to distribute, according to market estimates. Kim Dong-won, head of research at KB Securities, expects Samsung’s new program to be large eno