[THE INVESTOR] SK hynix’s second quarter operating profit is likely to decrease 20 percent on-year, according to analyst forecasts, with the target market price maintained at 37,000 won (US$32.15).

The chipmaker’s revenue will amount to 3.89 trillion won while operating profit will be 4.6 billion won, a rise of 7 percent and decline of 19 percent over the previous year, respectively,” said Do Hyun-woo, analyst at Mirae Asset Securities.


He noted that DRAM prices in the second quarter kept decreasing but the shipments improved as supply of 21nm DRAM, which was delayed last year, resumed.

“The shipment of SK’s DRAM is expected to climb 13 percent in the April-June period,” he said. “Along with that, shipment of NAND is also deemed to increase 32 percent thanks to the base effect of the first quarter.”

The analyst also forecast that Samsung Electronics’ supplies of DRAM this year will shrink by 40 percent compared with last year as it strengthens its NAND business considering the stalled DRAM market.

The DRAM market will improve starting next year, he said.

(theinvestor@heraldcorp.com)