SK hynix Reports 2022 and Fourth Quarter Financial Results

Rhea-AI Summary

SK hynix reported FY2022 revenues of 44.648 trillion won and an operating profit of 7.007 trillion won, with a net income of 2.439 trillion won. Despite a 4% revenue increase year-over-year, the company faced its first quarterly operating loss in a decade during Q4 due to low demand and falling memory chip prices. The operating loss for Q4 2022 was 1.701 trillion won, marking a 30% decrease from the previous quarter. Management anticipates a market recovery in the latter part of 2023, driven by demand for new AI technologies and strategic investments in high-capacity DRAM.

Positive

• FY2022 revenues increased by 4% year-over-year.
• Strong sales growth in high-capacity DRAM and SSDs for data centers, quadrupling revenues from data center SSDs.

Negative

• First operating loss in Q4 2022, amounting to 1.701 trillion won.
• Net income fell by 75% year-over-year.

• FY2022 revenues at 44.648 trillion won, operating profit at 7.007 trillion won
• First operating loss in 10 years in 4Q due to sluggish demand, price fall of memory chips
• "Preparedness for new market based on technological competitiveness expected to lead to quick turnaround in earnings"

SEOUL, South Korea, Jan. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SK hynix Inc. (or 'the company', www.skhynix.com) reported today financial results for 2022 ended on December 31. The company recorded revenues of 44.648 trillion won, an operating profit of 7.007 trillion won and a net income of 2.439 trillion won. Operating and net profit margin for the full year was 16% and 5%, respectively.

"Revenues continued to grow last year, but the operating profit decreased compared with a year earlier as the industry entered into a downturn from the second half," the company said.  "With uncertainties still lingering, we will continue to reduce investments and costs, while trying to minimize the impact of the downturn by prioritizing markets with high growth potential."

In 2022, SK hynix increased high-capacity DRAM shipments for server/PC markets, while boosting sales of DDR5 and HBM – of which products that the company has a solid market leadership – to customers in the growing markets of AI, Big Data, and cloud computing. Particularly, revenues for the data center SSD more than quadrupled compared with a year earlier.

However, SK hynix recorded an operating loss in the fourth quarter of last year due to weak demand and a sharp fall in memory-chip prices. The revenues for the three months on a consolidated basis were 7.699 trillion won, while the operating loss amounted to 1.701 trillion won (operating loss ratio at 22%) and net loss was at 3.524 trillion won (net loss ratio at 46%). The latest result was the first quarterly operating loss since the third quarter of 2012.

"Despite a deeper industry downturn in the first half, SK hynix forecasts market conditions to gradually improve into the latter part of the year," the company said. "Industry experts do not expect an increase in supply of memory chips as market players are planning to reduce investments and production, which will lead the inventories to peak within the first half."

In addition, SK hynix forecasts a gradual recovery in demand as global tech companies start to adopt more memory chips as the prices are low.

"Intel's launch of new server CPU adopting DDR5 and apparent positive signs of demand for new AI-based server memory chips bode well for a quick business turnaround," Chief Financial Officer Kim Woohyun said. "With the world's best technologies for DDR5 for data centers and 176-layer NAND flash-based enterprise SSD, we expect to see a quick turnaround when the market bottoms out."

SK hynix will stay with the decision announced in October to more than halve the volume of investments compared with 19 trillion won in 2022. However, investments for mass production of mainstream products such as DDR5, LPDDR5, and HMB3 and markets with growth potential will be continued.

"A successful overcome of the current downturn will help us strengthen fundamental business competitiveness before eventually leaping forward as a leading technology company," Kim said.

FY2022 Earnings (K-IFRS)

		Unit: Billion KRW
	2022	2021	YoY
Revenue	44,648	42,998	4 %
Operating Profit	7,007	12,410	-44 %
Operating Profit Margin	16 %	29 %	-13%p
Net Income	2,439	9,616	-75 %
※ The Financial information of the earnings written based on K-IFRS

 

FY2022 4Q Earnings (K-IFRS)

				Unit: Billion KRW
	2022 4Q	2022 3Q	QoQ	2021 4Q	YoY
Revenue	7,699	10,983	-30 %	12,377	-38 %
Operating Profit	-1,701	1,656	(turn to loss)	4,220	(turn to loss)
Operating Profit Margin	-22 %	15 %	-37%p	34 %	-56%p
Net Income	-3,524	1,103	(turn to loss)	3,320	(turn to loss)
※ The Financial information of the earnings written based on K-IFRS

 

Please note that the financial results discussed herein are preliminary and speak only as of December 31, 2022. Readers should not assume that this information remains operative at a later time. In addition, this information may include forward-looking statements that involve a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. For further discussion of these risks and uncertainties, readers should refer to SK hynix Inc.'s filing with the Korea Exchange. This document is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to sell any security of SK hynix Inc. 

"These materials are not an offer for sale of the securities of SK hynix Inc. in the United States. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. SK hynix Inc. does not intend to register any offering in the United States or to conduct a public offering of securities in the United States."

About SK hynix Inc.

SK hynix Inc., headquartered in Korea, is the world's top tier semiconductor supplier offering Dynamic Random Access Memory chips ("DRAM"), flash memory chips ("NAND flash") and CMOS Image Sensors ("CIS") for a wide range of distinguished customers globally. The Company's shares are traded on the Korea Exchange, and the Global Depository shares are listed on the Luxemburg Stock Exchange. Further information about SK hynix is available at www.skhynix.com, news.skhynix.com.

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SOURCE SK hynix Inc.

FAQ

What were SK hynix's earnings results for FY2022?

SK hynix reported revenues of 44.648 trillion won and an operating profit of 7.007 trillion won for FY2022.

What caused the operating loss for SK hynix in Q4 2022?

The operating loss of 1.701 trillion won in Q4 2022 was due to sluggish demand and a decrease in memory chip prices.

What is the future outlook for SK hynix?

SK hynix expects market conditions to gradually improve in the latter part of 2023, driven by demand for new memory chips.

What strategic steps is SK hynix taking for business recovery?

SK hynix plans to halve its investments while continuing to focus on high-growth product areas like DDR5 and HBM.