DRAMeXchange further predicted Samsung and SK hynix will see their market shares inch up this year, despite a decrease in overall sales. (image: SK hyinx)
SEOUL, Mar. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean chip giants Samsung Electronics Co. and SK hynix Inc. retained their combined leading spot in the global semiconductor market in 2018, an industry tracker said Monday.
Samsung’s sales of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) chips came to US$43.75 billion last year, taking up 43.9 percent of the world market, according to DRAMeXchange.
SK hynix came in second with $29.41 billion, posting a global market share of 29.5 percent. U.S chipmaker Micron Technology placed third with a 22.1 percent share.
Last year, global DRM sales soared 39 percent on-year to an all-time high of $99.66 billion.
DRAMeXchange further predicted Samsung and SK hynix will see their market shares inch up this year, despite a decrease in overall sales.
Samsung is expected to record a market share of 44.9 percent this year, with that of SK hynix projected to reach 29.6 percent.
Total DRAM sales are projected to decline 17.5 percent on-year to $82.25 billion this year.
Samsung and SK hynix also cemented their combined leading status in the global NAND flash market.
Samsung’s sales of NAND flash chips came to $22.19 billion last year, accounting for 35 percent of the global market. SK hynix ranked fifth with a market share of 10.6 percent, with Japan’s Toshiba coming in second with 19.2 percent.
Yet the combined market share of Samsung and SK hynix was marginally down from the 47.2 percent the previous year.
An industry source said SK hynix may emerge as the No. 2 player in the NAND flash market this year, given the completion of a NAND-only plant in South Korea and its increased investment.
(Yonhap)
