Samsung Electronics confirmed on Thursday that it had begun commercial shipments of its sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, HBM4, to customers. The announcement, which Bloomberg reported sent Samsung shares up as much as 7.6% on the Nextrade exchange to an all-time high, marks the first verified delivery of HBM4 at production scale by any manufacturer, a milestone that Samsung has framed as a comeback after falling behind SK Hynix in the AI memory market over the past two years.
Samsung did not identify specific customers in its statement, but industry sources have consistently indicated that the primary recipient is Nvidia, which plans to integrate HBM4 into its Vera Rubin AI accelerator platform scheduled for launch in the second half of 2026. The chips began mass production at Samsung’s Pyeongtaek campus in mid-February, with the first shipments timed to support Nvidia’s performance demonstrations at the GTC 2026 conference in March. Samsung’s HBM4 achieved data rates of 11.7 gigabits per second in qualification testing, exceeding Nvidia’s performance requirements, and the company has said the product passed validation without requiring a redesign after customers requested enhanced specifications.
The timing gives Samsung a meaningful lead over SK Hynix, which has reportedly delayed its own HBM4 mass production to March or April. SK Hynix remains the market leader in overall HBM supply, commanding roughly 60% of global shipments, and has secured what sources describe as the majority of Nvidia’s initial HBM4 allocation. But Samsung’s ability to ship first disrupts the narrative that SK Hynix holds an insurmountable technological advantage in the most advanced segment of the memory industry. Samsung’s vertically integrated production model, which combines DRAM fabrication, logic die manufacturing on its own 4-nanometer process, and advanced packaging under a single corporate umbrella, has proven to be a structural advantage in accelerating time-to-market.
The financial implications for Samsung’s semiconductor division are substantial. The memory business unit had been under intense pressure throughout 2024 and into 2025, as delays in HBM3E qualification with Nvidia allowed SK Hynix to capture the lion’s share of the most profitable segment of the DRAM market. Samsung’s fourth-quarter 2025 operating profit for its chip division exceeded 20 trillion won ($14 billion), already a record, driven by rising memory prices and the early stages of HBM4 demand. Morgan Stanley has projected that memory profits could increase more than 300% in 2026 as the revenue mix shifts toward higher-margin AI chips, a forecast that now appears conservative if Samsung can sustain its early HBM4 shipment momentum.
The broader supply chain context reinforces the significance of the milestone. Global memory supply remains tight, with TrendForce projecting average DRAM prices, including HBM, will rise 50% to 55% in the first quarter of 2026 relative to the fourth quarter of 2025. The memory shortage has become a binding constraint on AI data center expansion, directly limiting how quickly hyperscale operators can bring new AI accelerators online. In that environment, Samsung’s ability to add commercial HBM4 volumes to the market provides incremental supply relief while also strengthening its negotiating position with the major AI chip designers that are desperate for guaranteed access to advanced memory.
Samsung plans to expand HBM production capacity by approximately 50% by year-end 2026 and has separately announced plans to increase its advanced DRAM production lines for HBM4 by as much as 70%. The capital expenditure commitments reflect a strategic decision to treat AI memory as the primary growth driver for the semiconductor division, a bet that aligns with the trajectory of the broader industry but also carries execution risk if demand softens or if SK Hynix and Micron close the qualification gap faster than expected.
For investors, Samsung’s HBM4 shipment confirmation provides a tangible catalyst for revaluing the company’s semiconductor business relative to its competitors. The stock’s new all-time high on the announcement reflects market recognition that Samsung is regaining competitiveness in the category that matters most to institutional investors focused on the AI hardware supply chain. The question that remains is whether Samsung can sustain its early advantage through the year and convert first-mover status into durable market share gains, or whether SK Hynix’s established customer relationships and production scale will reassert themselves as both companies ramp full-scale HBM4 output in the second half of 2026.
