Samsung Electronics hit a $1 trillion market value on Wednesday, May 6, after its stock surged 14% in a single day, according to Bloomberg. The South Korean chipmaker became only the second Asian company after Taiwan's TSMC to reach the exclusive $1 trillion club.
The rally pushed South Korea's main stock index above 7,000 for the first time ever. Samsung's stock has now more than quadrupled in value over the past year as tech companies race to buy the memory chips that power artificial intelligence systems.
Samsung reported record profits last week of 57.2 trillion won (around $39 billion) for the first three months of 2026. That single quarter earned more than the company made in all of 2025 combined. Revenue for the quarter climbed to a record 133.9 trillion Korean won.
Damilare Odedina
Samsung Stock Leads Historic Rally in Korean Tech Shares
Samsung's jump lifted its rival SK Hynix by more than 10% on Wednesday. The two chipmakers together drove South Korea's Kospi stock index up more than 6% to break the 7,000 level for the first time in history.
Same day, foreign investors poured $2.1 billion into Korean stocks. According to Bloomberg, local media reported that a deal between Interactive Brokers and Samsung Securities now allows U.S. investors direct access to purchase Korean stocks, driving the foreign buying spree.
The massive inflows also lifted the South Korean currency, which rose more than 1% against the dollar to become Asia's best performing currency of the day. Samsung and SK Hynix dominate the global market for memory chips used in AI data centers.
Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are scrambling to secure chip supplies, driving prices higher and boosting profits for Korean chipmakers. The two companies together now account for more than 43% of the Kospi benchmark index.
Why Samsung Stock Surged Today
The rally accelerated after Bloomberg reported Tuesday that Apple has held early talks with Samsung and Intel about making iPhone chips in the United States. Apple currently relies almost entirely on Taiwan's TSMC for chip production but is exploring backup options. The talks remain preliminary and no orders have been placed.
Samsung's chip division posted a 48-fold profit increase last quarter as AI companies locked in multi-year supply contracts at premium prices. The company started shipping its newest memory chips, HBM4, to customers earlier this year for advanced AI applications.
Wednesday's surge made Samsung more valuable than Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and put it within striking distance of retail giant Walmart in total market value. The stock reached its highest level on record during the trading session.
Dennis Da-ala Mirilla
