SK Hynix swings to 3Q12 profit

Jessie Shen, DIGITIMES, Taipei [Wednesday 24 October 2012]

Memory chipmaker SK Hynix has reported net profits for the third quarter of 2012, ending four straight quarters of losses.

SK Hynix swung to net profits of KRW2 billion (US$1.81 million) in third-quarter 2012, from losses of KRW53 billion in the prior quarter and KRW563 billion a year ago. The company credited the profitability to net foreign currency transaction gains.

Consolidated revenues, however, slipped 8% sequentially to KRW2.42 trillion in the third quarter. SK Hynix attributed the decrease to a sluggish DRAM market. The firm posted operating losses of KRW15 billion in the third quarter, compared to operating profits of KRW23 billion in the second quarter and operating losses of KRW277 billion in third-quarter 2011.

SK Hynix indicated that sales of its non-PC DRAM products grew to account for more than 70% of company revenues in the third quarter of 2012. However, the company still suffered from falling prices for commodity DRAM memory due to weak PC demand.

As for NAND flash, prices have stabilized thanks to an overall supply reduction and rising demand for embedded solutions such as MCP and eMMC, SK Hynix revealed.

SK Hynix disclosed that its DRAM bit shipments decreased 5% sequentially in the third quarter of 2012, with ASP also falling 8%. For NAND flash, bit shipments increased 5% on quarter with ASP rising 4%.

SK Hynix indicated that the company will continue to expand the sales ratio for non-PC DRAM products, particularly mobile DRAM and NAND flash chips. The firm added that it also has stepped up efforts to migrate to 20nm-class DRAM technology.