Technology / Semiconductor / Internet Research

Nicolas Baratte

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>2025 GPU (Blackwell for Nvidia, MI350 for AMD) use HBM3e 12Hi. SK Hynix and Micron supply Nvidia, Samsung has failed qualification again. Micron and Samsung supply AMD.  </li>
<li>2026 GPU (Rubin, MI400) use HBM4 12Hi. SK Hynix, Micron are qualified by Nvidia – that’s done. Micron is closing the gap with Hynix. Samsung still nowhere to be seen.</li>
<li>Samsung got its consolation prize: AMD is using its HBM3e 12Hi in MI350. It looks like Broadcom will use Samsung’s HBM3e 8Hi in 2 projects (speculatively Apple and OpenAI).</li>
</ul>


2025 GPU (Blackwell for Nvidia, MI350 for AMD) use HBM3e 12Hi. SK Hynix and Micron supply Nvidia, Samsung has failed qualification again. Micron and Samsung supply AMD.  
2026 GPU (Rubin, MI400) use HBM4 12Hi. SK Hynix, Micron are qualified by Nvidia – that’s done. Micron is closing the gap with Hynix. Samsung still nowhere to be seen.
Samsung got its consolation prize: AMD is using its HBM3e 12Hi in MI350. It looks like Broadcom will use Samsung’s HBM3e 8Hi in 2 projects (speculatively Apple and OpenAI).


SK Hynix, Micron HBM4 Qualification by Nvidia Is Done. Samsung Still Failing to Qualify with Nvidia

<ul>
<li>Samsung 3nm yields improving (50-60%) but still far behind TSMC (85-90%)</li>
<li>SK Hynix is finalizing HBM4 agreements with Nvidia, Samsung is still not qualified for HBM3e.</li>
<li>Huawei into semiconductor chemicals? The vulnerability is photo-resist, but that's very hard to do </li>
</ul>


Samsung 3nm yields improving (50-60%) but still far behind TSMC (85-90%)
SK Hynix is finalizing HBM4 agreements with Nvidia, Samsung is still not qualified for HBM3e.
Huawei into semiconductor chemicals? The vulnerability is photo-resist, but that's very hard to do 


Samsung Still in the Woods, SK Hynix Still Ahead. China Semi News (Huawei)

External broker reports(aggregated public sources), Daishin Securities

Daishin Securities

External broker reports(aggregated public sources)

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<ul><li>HBM lead should continue to pay off; 1c DRAM transition likely landed softly</li><li>Switch to net cash position slated for the year; NAND getting increasingly competitive </li><li>Target price set at W280,000; Our Top semiconductor pick</li></ul><p><em>Content is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.</em></p>

HBM lead should continue to pay off; 1c DRAM transition likely landed softlySwitch to net cash position slated for the year; NAND getting increasingly competitive Target price set at W280,000; Our Top semiconductor pickContent is external broker report sourced from online content aggregator through publicly available sources and is displayed below for general informational purposes only. Refer full disclaimer below.

SK Hynix (000660 KS May 21, 2025) - A Bigger Leap Ahead

Chief Executive Officer, Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Manishi Raychaudhuri

Chief Executive Officer

Emmer Capital Partners Limited

Emmer Capital Partners is an Asia Pacific focused financial advisory firm engaging in strategic financial asset allocation advice, bespoke thematic research and advising early-stage companies and connecting them to investors. Emmer Capital provides macro-economic and multi-asset investment strategy inputs to institutions, family offices, private wealth managers, private equity, and corporate boards directly and through independent research platforms. Emmer Capital also advises a wide range of startup companies on fund raising and business strategy. Emmer Capital's active engagement with the print and electronic media reaches a broad spectrum of investors across the globe.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul>
<li>As the earnings season draws to a close, we look at Asian markets'/sectors' EPS estimate progression during the reporting season and earlier. Specifically, we search for upward or downward inflections.</li>
<li>Korea and Taiwan had the strongest EPS upgrades during this reporting season, despite the trade uncertainties. Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia also had decent upgrades. HK/China and India continue to be downgraded.</li>
<li>Korean and Taiwanese technology, Korean industrials, HK Technology Services had strong upgrades. So did Singapore and Philippines financials, and Thailand Communications - the latter two with a long upgrade history.</li>
</ul>


As the earnings season draws to a close, we look at Asian markets'/sectors' EPS estimate progression during the reporting season and earlier. Specifically, we search for upward or downward inflections.
Korea and Taiwan had the strongest EPS upgrades during this reporting season, despite the trade uncertainties. Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia also had decent upgrades. HK/China and India continue to be downgraded.
Korean and Taiwanese technology, Korean industrials, HK Technology Services had strong upgrades. So did Singapore and Philippines financials, and Thailand Communications - the latter two with a long upgrade history.


Asian Equities: Taking Stock After the Result Season: Where Are EPS Estimates Rising and Falling?

<ul>
<li>Apparently, on news of this new Huawei chip in WSJ, Nvidia’s stock decline -2% yesterday. That’s strange – not new news, the real issue is new US export license requirements.</li>
<li>Nvidia’s problem is not Huawei, but US restrictions on selling GPU to China. Nvidia announced writing off US$5.5bn on 9 April 2025 (for H20). AMD estimates US$800m (for MI308).</li>
<li>Assume that Nvidia and AMD will not sell any AI chips to China. Same for HBM memory.</li>
</ul>


Apparently, on news of this new Huawei chip in WSJ, Nvidia’s stock decline -2% yesterday. That’s strange – not new news, the real issue is new US export license requirements.
Nvidia’s problem is not Huawei, but US restrictions on selling GPU to China. Nvidia announced writing off US$5.5bn on 9 April 2025 (for H20). AMD estimates US$800m (for MI308).
Assume that Nvidia and AMD will not sell any AI chips to China. Same for HBM memory.


Is Huawei New AI Chip Is Bad for Nvidia? New US Export Licensing Is the Real Issue (Part 2)

South Korea

SK Hynix Inc. provides products and services for the electronic components industry. The Company manufactures semiconductors, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), NAND flash memory, and static random access memory (SRAM) chips.

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SK Hynix (000660 KS)

SK Hynix, Micron HBM4 Qualification by Nvidia Is Done. Samsung Still Failing to Qualify with Nvidia

Upcoming GPUs from Nvidia and AMD will utilize HBM4 memory technology, with Micron and SK Hynix leading the supply chain while Samsung lags behind.

Nicolas Baratte

Samsung Still in the Woods, SK Hynix Still Ahead. China Semi News (Huawei)

Samsung's 3nm yields are improving but still lag behind TSMC. SK Hynix finalizing HBM4 agreements with Nvidia. Huawei exploring semiconductor...

Nicolas Baratte