On Thursday, SK hynix (SKHY.US) saw its shares climb more than 5% to $164.77, driven by a wave of investor optimism following a major corporate announcement.

After the market closed on August 19, 2026, SK hynix unveiled its long-anticipated shareholder return strategy, detailing a plan to buy back and cancel shares worth 40 trillion Korean won. This involves 24.07 million shares, representing 3.3% of the outstanding shares as of the end of the second quarter of 2026, and equates to roughly $28.9 billion. This move not only marks the largest share repurchase in the history of South Korean listed companies but also surpasses the approximately $26.5 billion that SK hynix raised through its ADR offering in the U.S. in early July.

Both Wall Street powerhouses, JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, issued highly favorable assessments of the announcement in their latest research reports on August 20. JPMorgan highlighted a substantial upgrade in the shareholder return policy, noting the commitment has shifted from "no more than 50%" to "no less than 50%," effectively turning a previous ceiling into a new floor.

Goldman Sachs, on the other hand, forecasts a robust 8% shareholder return rate for 2027 and anticipates an additional buyback of approximately 7 trillion Korean won in the future.