Samsung Stock Reaches Record High on Report of Exclusive Nvidia HBM4 Deal

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TLDR

  • Samsung is said to have secured an exclusive agreement to provide HBM4 chips for the high-end tier of Nvidia’s next-generation Vera Rubin AI processors, according to reports.
  • Samsung is aiming for a price of roughly $700 per HBM4 unit, about 30% higher than the previous generation.
  • Bloomberg Intelligence calculates that a $700 price point would yield a 50–60% operating profit margin for Samsung.
  • Following the reports, Samsung shares reached a record high, climbing by as much as 5.4% on the Korea Exchange.
  • SK Hynix had previously priced its HBM4 chips for Nvidia in the mid-$500 range and may now seek to increase prices to align with Samsung’s.

Samsung Electronics shares soared to a record high after reports indicated the company has likely won an exclusive contract to supply top-end memory chips for Nvidia’s next-generation AI processors.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (005930.KS)

On Thursday, when trading resumed after a three-day holiday, the stock rose by up to 5.4% on the Korea Exchange.

This uptick was spurred by two distinct reports from South Korean media outlets ChosunBiz and Chosun Ilbo, both citing industry sources.

ChosunBiz stated that plans to categorize HBM4 memory suppliers for its upcoming Vera Rubin processors into two tiers: a general-purpose lineup and a high-performance lineup.

Samsung is reported to be the supplier for the high-performance tier, effectively granting it an exclusive position at the premium end.

While general-purpose models are projected to make up the majority of production, high-end models are expected to carry significantly higher price margins.

Samsung’s HBM4 Pricing Power

Chosun Ilbo reported that is targeting a price of around $700 per HBM4 unit, which would represent roughly a 30% premium over the previous generation of HBM chips.

For reference, SK Hynix had priced its own HBM4 chips for Nvidia in the mid-$500 range back in August.

Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Masahiro Wakasugi noted that a $700 price would translate to an operating profit margin of 50–60% for Samsung’s HBM4 business.

Wakasugi also mentioned that the pricing gap between Samsung and SK Hynix could narrow in 2026 if Samsung supplies more HBM chips to Nvidia at these higher price points.

Samsung declined to comment on the pricing reports.

Catching Up to SK Hynix

Samsung had lagged behind SK Hynix in the early stages of the AI memory boom. SK Hynix moved faster to scale production and secure supply agreements with Nvidia, giving it an early advantage.

However, Samsung has been closing this gap. Just last week, the company announced it had initiated mass production of HBM4 chips and shipped commercial products to customers—becoming the first memory chip producer to do so.

HBM (high bandwidth memory) is a crucial component in advanced AI chips due to the high-speed computing and memory requirements of large generative AI models. HBM4 is the most advanced version currently available.

Nvidia unveiled its Vera Rubin chip lineup earlier this year and has stated these processors are scheduled for release in the second half of 2026.

The broader market environment has also been favorable. A global memory shortage has boosted both Samsung and SK Hynix, contributing to a 34% rise in South Korea’s Kospi index this year—making it the world’s best-performing stock market in 2026.

Meta Platforms recently agreed to deploy millions of Nvidia AI processors over the next few years, a deal that has alleviated concerns about a slowdown in AI infrastructure spending.

Following the initial surge earlier in the week, Samsung shares closed with a 0.05% increase on Friday.