Samsung Stock Surges 14% as Market Cap Hits $1 Trillion on AI Chip Boom

Samsung became only the second Asian tech giant to hit the milestone after a historic rally drove shares to record highs Wednesday

May 6, 2026

by Damilare Odedina

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.

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.