Key facts
- SK hynix Inc. debuted on the Nasdaq with its American depositary receipts (ADRs).
- The offering raised approximately $26.5 billion (40 trillion won).
- The price for each ADR was set at $149, representing one-tenth of a common share.
- The funds will be used for a new semiconductor fabrication plant and chip packaging facility in South Korea.
- The company plans to invest 11.9 trillion won in EUV lithography equipment.
South Korean chip giant SK hynix Inc. made its debut on the Nasdaq on Friday through the listing of its American depositary receipts (ADRs), a move designed to provide global investors with greater access to the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure market. The offering comprised 177.9 million ADRs, each representing one-tenth of a common share, priced at $149 per ADR, collectively raising approximately 40 trillion won ($26.5 billion). This significant offering ranks among the largest by a foreign company in the U.S. and underscores strong investor demand for AI-focused companies.
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, and other senior executives marked the occasion with a bell-ringing ceremony in New York. Kwak stated that the listing aims to build the future together as AI becomes ubiquitous and to make investing in SK hynix more accessible. The company believes the Nasdaq listing will expand its U.S. investor base, enhance its role in the AI ecosystem, provide substantial capital, and foster new business opportunities and strategic partnerships.
SK hynix intends to utilize the proceeds to construct a new semiconductor fabrication plant and an advanced chip packaging facility in South Korea. Additionally, the company plans a 11.9 trillion won investment in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment, scheduled for installation by the end of the following year. Analysts suggest this U.S. listing could help narrow SK hynix's valuation gap with competitors like U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc., drawing parallels to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), which has seen benefits from its U.S. listing.
