February 24, 2026 /SemiMedia/ — SK hynix said the global memory industry has shifted into a seller’s market and expects prices to keep rising throughout 2026, according to comments made at a recent virtual investor meeting with Goldman Sachs.

The company pointed to strong demand from artificial intelligence and high-performance computing as the main driver. It said real demand for memory used in AI systems continues to grow faster than earlier industry expectations.

On the supply side, SK hynix disclosed that inventories of both DRAM and NAND flash are currently around four weeks, indicating a tight market where customer demand cannot be fully met.

The situation is even tighter for high bandwidth memory (HBM). The company said its HBM capacity for 2026 has already been fully booked, while shortages in standard DRAM are strengthening suppliers’ pricing power.

As a result, the memory supply chain has begun negotiating longer-term agreements to secure future supply. SK hynix said the gap between demand and available capacity is unlikely to ease soon, as cleanroom expansion and capacity ramp-up remain slow.