Samsung Electronics crosses $1tn, joining TSMC, as the AI memory cycle pulls Korea into a record

Samsung’s stock has more than quadrupled in a year. The KOSPI broke 7,000 for the first time. Two Korean chipmakers now account for 42% of the index. The supercycle that built this rally is, by Samsung’s own forecast, not yet at its peak.

There is a particular type of market moment that does not happen often, and one of them happened in Seoul on Wednesday morning. Reuters reported that Samsung Electronics’ market capitalisation crossed $1tn for the first time in the company’s 57-year history, with shares trading up roughly 12 per cent in early dealings before closing higher still. 

Samsung’s stock has more than quadrupled over the past 12 months, and the company has now joined TSMC as the only other Asian operator to cross the $1tn threshold. The KOSPI, the South Korean benchmark, broke 7,000 for the first time on the same trading ...