Key Points

SK hynix Inc. shares were trading at 321,500 won (USD 231.39) as of 9:19 a.m. on Friday, up 4.72 per cent from the previous session, marking its ninth consecutive day of gains since September 2.

The stock rose as high as 325,000 won intraday, surpassing its previous record high set on Thursday.

Samsung Electronics Co. shares also gained 1.77 per cent to 74,700 won. They rose to a 52-week high of 75,000 won earlier in the session.

The rally came amid expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index - composed of major U.S. tech stocks - also rose for a sixth straight session overnight.

Investor sentiment toward SK hynix was also boosted by its announcement prior to market opening that it had completed development of its next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4).

SK hynix noted that it became the first in the world to establish mass production capability for the ultra-high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) memory chip.

Meanwhile, ramyeon-related stocks also gained ground on early Friday on the back of strong demand fueled partly by the popularity of Netflix Inc.'s animated series, "KPop Demon Hunters (KDH)."

Samyang Foods Co. saw its shares rise 0.67 per cent to 1.64 million won as of 9:30 a.m. on Friday, while shares of Nongshim Co. jumped 12.5 per cent to 549,000 won and Ottogi Co. climbed 7.95 per cent to 441,500 won.

Nongshim recently released a collaboration product with KDH.

"Exports of Korean ramyeon in the first 10 days of September 2025, which were announced on Thursday, totalled $50.52 million, equivalent to 41.3 per cent of the monthly average from January to August," said Korea Investment & Securities Co. Analyst Kang Eun-ji.

Its export growth rose 46 per cent year-on-year, with shipments to China and the United States up 165.4 per cent and 20.1 per cent, respectively.

"Investor sentiment toward ramyeon makers is improving across the board, and among them, Nongshim's valuation appeal may stand out given its relatively lower burden," Kang noted.

"As KDH continues to gain global traction, search volumes for Korean ramyeon are also rising," said Joo Young-hoon, an analyst at NH Investment & Securities Co. "Samyang's Buldak spicy ramyeon has already become a cultural phenomenon, and this export momentum is likely to continue."

He raised his target price for Samyang Foods to 1.88 million won.

Shares of SK hynix closed at 328,500 won on Friday, up 7 per cent from the previous session. Samsung Electronics finished at 75,400 won.

Samyang Foods shares ended at 1,616,000 won, Nongshim at 522,000 won, and Ottogi at 433,000 won.

- ANI