SK Hynix Eyes Massive U.S. Listing: ETFs That Are Likely to Gain
South Korean memory chip giant SK Hynix is set to launch a U.S. listing on the Nasdaq, aiming to raise about $28 billion in what could become one of the world’s largest equity offerings, per Reuters. The move points to the company’s effort to capitalize on surging investor demand for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure while broadening its global shareholder base.
One of the Largest Share Sales Ever
SK Hynix plans to issue 17.79 million new American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), with 10 ADRs representing one common share. The stock has surged about 250% this year (as of July 3, 2026), reflecting strong enthusiasm for AI-related semiconductor companies.
If completed as planned, the offering would rank among the largest share sales globally, trailing only the record-setting SpaceX IPO last month while exceeding the massive IPOs of Saudi Aramco and Alibaba (read: SpaceX Soars in Historic IPO: Should You Play SPCX ETFs or the Stock?).
AI Boom Drives Investor Interest
SK Hynix has emerged as one of the biggest winners of the AI revolution thanks to its leadership in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, a key component for advanced AI servers. The company supplies HBM chips to leading AI players such as NVIDIA and Google, as pointed out in the same Reuters article.
Proceeds to Expand Manufacturing Capacity
SK Hynix intends to use the proceeds from the ADR sale to accelerate semiconductor production capacity in South Korea. The funds will primarily support the construction of new chip manufacturing facilities.
South Korea Doubles Down on Chips and AI
The offering comes shortly after South Korea unveiled a sweeping semiconductor and AI strategy centered on a $576 billion investment initiative aimed at strengthening the country’s technological leadership.
The program will be anchored by SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, with the government seeking to build a world-leading semiconductor ecosystem.
Inside the Valuation Comparison
SK Hynix (000660.KS) currently has a trailing twelve-month (TTM) price/earnings (P/E) ratio of 22.96X, while its forward P/E ratio stands at 8.30X, per Yahoo Finance data. In contrast, its competitor Micron Technology MU trades at a P/E (TTM) of 21.62X. MU shares currently trade at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of just 8.52X.
ETFs to Gain
A Nasdaq listing is expected to make SK Hynix shares significantly easier for U.S. investors to own, particularly retail investors and smaller institutional funds. Analysts also expect the company to become eligible for inclusion in the PHLX Semiconductor Sector Index, potentially attracting substantial passive investment flows from index-tracking funds, per the same Reuters article.