SK HERCULES DIDN'T REPORT A 9% DROP AFTER THE EXPECTED AMERICAN STOCK

ON WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY, THE SK HERCULES (SKHY.O) RELEASED A FINANCIAL REPORT, WHICH WAS INFLUENCED BY THE STRONG DEMAND OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL GIANTS TO INCREASE THE INPUT OF THE AI DATA CENTRE AND DRIVE UP ADVANCED STORAGE CHIPS. IN THE SECOND QUARTER, THE COMPANY ' S OPERATING PROFITS SURGED BETWEEN 557 AND 60.5 TRILLION WON (APPROXIMATELY $41.62 BILLION), UPDATING ITS HISTORICAL RECORD, FROM 9.2 TRILLION WON DURING THE SAME PERIOD THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THIS FIGURE, HOWEVER, IS LOWER THAN THE MARKET'S EXPECTED 64 TRILLION WON, MAINLY BECAUSE ITS HIGH-END STORAGE CHIP (HBM) ACCOUNTS FOR A HIGHER SHARE OF THE COMPETITORS, BUT DOES NOT FULLY BENEFIT FROM THE STRONG PRICE INCREASE CYCLE OF THE CURRENT ROUND OF CONVENTIONAL STORAGE CHIPS. THIS HAS HEIGHTENED CONCERNS THAT THE AI BOOM THAT DRIVES THE SEMICONDUCTOR SECTOR MAY BE SLOWING. SK HERCULES ALSO FAILED TO MEET EXPECTATIONS, AND THE FINANCIAL PAPER SHOWS THAT IT EARNED 79 TRILLION WON IN THE SECOND QUARTER AND THE MARKET IS EXPECTED TO EARN 84 TRILLION WON. AS A RESULT OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, SK HERCULES FELL BY 9 PER CENT ON TUESDAY AND THEN FELL BY ANOTHER 9 PER CENT ON THE BACK OF THE PLATE, AS DID SNDK.O. AND U.O., WHICH FELL BY OVER 4 PER CENT, TO ERASE THE BOOST FROM STX.O. KIM XIAN