Shares of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. jumped sharply on Monday, reaching a record high after optimistic remarks from co-CEO Young Hyun Jun strengthened investor expectations about the company’s prospects in artificial intelligence.
In morning trading, Samsung shares rose more than 6% to a record 136,800 won, lifting South Korea’s KOSPI index by 1.9%. The rally followed reports of an internal memo from Jun in which he quoted chip customers as saying, “Samsung is back.” This fueled hopes of an imminent large memory-chip supply contract with Nvidia Corporation.
The stock’s surge, which began on Friday, also bolstered broader Asian technology stocks. Memory-chip rival SK Hynix Inc. gained nearly 3% on Monday and reached its own record high.
Samsung’s rally at the start of 2026 continues momentum from late 2025, when the company’s shares rose sharply amid signs of tightening supply in the memory market and higher processor prices. Analysts expect elevated demand from the AI industry for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to further reduce supply and push prices higher this year.
Samsung had previously trailed SK Hynix in capturing HBM-related demand tied to AI, but it narrowed the gap in the second half of 2025, securing supply deals with OpenAI. Reports indicate a deal with Nvidia is also close to completion.
South Korean media has reported that Samsung is preparing to announce record financial results for the fourth quarter of 2025, with preliminary figures expected to be published this week.
