Samsung Electronics HBM4 Counterattack Begins... Why SK Hynix Also Smiles as Market Share Soars / Don't Be Fooled by Exaggerated China Semiconductor Fear | Semicon Research Lab CEO Noh Geun-chang

Samsung Electronics HBM4 Counterattack Begins… Why SK Hynix Also Smiles as Market Share Soars / Don't Be Fooled by Exaggerated China Semiconductor Fear! | Semicon Research Lab CEO Noh Geun-chang
Watch on YouTube ↗  |  September 06, 2026 at 08:00  |  25:24  |  815 Money Talk (815머니톡)
Speakers
Noh Geun-chang — Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center

Summary

Semicon Research Lab CEO Noh Geun-chang argues that foreign selling in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is mostly done and that long-term emerging-market funds will keep Korea memory exposure. He expects Samsung HBM4 to recover credibility, the HBM market to double by 2030, and SK Hynix to remain a leader as non-Nvidia AI accelerator demand expands. He downplays China memory capacity fears due to equipment bottlenecks and says yen carry-trade fears are noise while US AI exposure remains essential.

  • Foreign selling in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix is viewed as largely exhausted, with long-term EM funds retaining Korea memory positions.
  • Korean battery, refining and K-beauty sectors are highlighted as additional domestic bright spots.
  • Noh expects oil prices to fall after roughly six months of adaptation to wartime energy conditions.
  • Samsung HBM4 is described as regaining quality, yield and customer support, including Nvidia and AMD-related demand.
  • The HBM market is forecast to double from about 70 billion dollars this year to 140 billion dollars by 2030.
  • SK Hynix is seen as still benefiting because total HBM demand is expanding beyond Nvidia into Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, Broadcom and Anthropic accelerators.
  • China memory capacity targets are treated as largely vision rather than near-term reality due to US-controlled data-center demand and semiconductor equipment shortages.
  • Yen carry-trade liquidation fears are dismissed as mostly noise, while US AI exposure is considered a position investors cannot meaningfully abandon.
Ideas
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 0:39
Foreign memory selling mostly done
The recent foreign selling of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix appears largely done. Not all foreign investors are the same: fast-money hedge-fund type flows have already reduced, while long-term emerging-market funds must maintain Korea exposure because Korea is transparent, liquid and open to foreign access, and their most trusted liquid Korean positions are the memory semiconductor leaders. Some long-term funds took profit after the rally, but that is natural position management rather than a structural exit.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 1:50
Korean battery makers bottoming and expanding
Korean secondary battery makers are showing bottoming signals. Continued US sanctions on Chinese supply chains are pushing Korea's three major battery companies to expand US plant capacity and form new partnerships, improving their competitive and geopolitical positioning.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 2:13
Korean refiners benefit from strong margins
Korean oil refining companies are benefiting from stronger refining margins as oil prices rise and regional war-related supply disruptions create reflected gains for Korean refiners. Their stock performance has recently improved on this dynamic.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 2:26
K-beauty earnings strong as culture spreads
K-culture is spreading from K-pop and K-content into K-beauty and cosmetics, where companies are reporting strong recent earnings. He expects the same pattern to extend into Korean electronics, autos, shipbuilding and other light manufacturing, creating repeated Korean manufacturing winners.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 3:00
Korea industrial future remains bright
Korea has an unusually diverse industrial base and rapid catch-up ability. Despite risks in some industries linked to China, Korean companies repeatedly shift into new industries with speed, so the country's industrial future remains bright.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 4:45
Oil likely falls after six months adaptation
After about six months of adjustment to elevated wartime oil prices, economic actors adapt and find alternatives, so oil prices are likely to fall.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 7:09
Must keep US AI exposure
Even if Japanese government bond yields rise to 3%, US yields are still much higher. Because AI is generating exceptional growth, investors who want any AI exposure must own US AI assets. He says he could trim a little but would not meaningfully reduce a US AI position.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 19:14
Semiconductor equipment shortage creates backlog
Semiconductor production requires lithography, deposition, etch and cleaning equipment mostly supplied by US, Japanese and Dutch companies. Global equipment is in shortage with very long lead times because TSMC and memory makers are all expanding, and priority supply goes to Korean players, TSMC and Micron. This creates a strong order backlog for leading equipment makers such as ASML and Lam Research.
Noh Geun-chang Center Head, Hyundai Motor Securities Research Center 20:27
China memory capacity targets are vision only
Chinese memory makers will grow and take some specialty and consumer share, but more than 60% of DRAM demand is data-center demand controlled by US companies where Chinese firms cannot sell. Chinese capacity targets are more IPO vision than near-term reality, and equipment bottlenecks mean their aggressive targets cannot be implemented for at least five years. HBM development success is not the same as mass supply success.
Up Next

This 815 Money Talk (815머니톡) video, published September 06, 2026, features Noh Geun-chang discussing 000660.KS, 005930.KS, LIT, KWEB, K-beauty/cosmetics stocks, South Korea equity market, WTI, US AI equities, ASML, LRCX, Chinese semiconductor/memory sector. 9 trade ideas extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: Noh Geun-chang  · Tickers: 000660.KS, 005930.KS, LIT, KWEB, K-beauty/cosmetics stocks, South Korea equity market, WTI, US AI equities, ASML, LRCX, Chinese semiconductor/memory sector