Top Traders Buy SK Hynix, Sell Samsung in Divided Chip Bets

South Korea's most active stock traders are placing sharply different bets within the same booming semiconductor sector, favoring SK hynix over Samsung Electronics even as both companies ride a historic export surge.

According to trading data from Mirae Asset Securities, the brokerage's top 1% of clients by trading volume net bought shares of SK hynix in recent sessions while simultaneously net selling Samsung Electronics stock. The divergence comes despite a rally in Samsung shares, which jumped roughly 5% after the company unveiled a new business unit focused on artificial intelligence and robotics, a move investors read as a signal of Samsung's ambitions beyond its traditional chip and device businesses.

The trading split unfolded against a backdrop of extraordinary strength in Korea's chip exports. Data from the Korea Customs Service showed semiconductor exports totaling $22.1 billion in just the first 20 days of July, a jump of 180.6% compared with the same period last year. The figures underscore how central memory chips and AI-related components have become to Korea's export economy, with both SK hynix and Samsung benefiting from surging global demand tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure buildouts.

Market watchers say the top traders' preference for SK hynix likely reflects its dominant position in high-bandwidth memory chips, a critical component for AI accelerators, where the company has built a considerable lead over rivals in supplying major chipmakers. Some investors appear to be rotating profits out of Samsung following its recent share price gains, taking a more cautious view on whether the newly announced AI and robotics division will translate into near-term earnings, even as they stay bullish on the broader semiconductor upcycle through SK hynix.

The contrasting positioning highlights a broader debate among Korean investors about how to play the AI-driven chip boom: betting on SK hynix's established memory leadership versus Samsung's diversification push into new growth areas. Both stocks remain closely watched barometers for South Korea's export-driven economy, which has leaned heavily on semiconductor demand to offset softer performance in other manufacturing sectors this year.

Analysts note that the export data and trading patterns together suggest confidence in the semiconductor sector's momentum remains strong, even as investors differentiate sharply between the two chip giants' near-term prospects.