South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. is considering a special dividend of approximately 16 trillion won ($12 billion) to return about 80% of gains from selling its stake in Japanese memory chipmaker Kioxia Holdings Corp., according to a report by DongA Ilbo. The announcement is expected alongside third-quarter earnings on October 28, 2026. The gains follow a 2018 Bain Capital-led $18 billion acquisition of Toshiba's memory business and Kioxia's 2024 Tokyo listing.
SK Hynix special dividend proposal
- ▪South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix Inc. is considering returning about 16 trillion won ($12 billion) to shareholders through a special dividend, representing roughly 80% of gains from its Kioxia Holdings Corp. stake sale, according to a DongA Ilbo report on October 26, 2026
- ▪An SK Hynix Inc. spokesperson declined to comment on a DongA Ilbo report regarding a proposed 16 trillion won special dividend
Kioxia stake sale and gains
- ▪SK Hynix Inc. did not publicly disclose the specific monetary value of its one-off gain when exiting its Kioxia Holdings Corp. investment during Bain Capital's disposal
- ▪Bain Capital sold its entire stake in flash memory chipmaker Kioxia Holdings Corp. earlier in 2026 as part of a wider investment exit
- ▪SK Hynix Inc. is estimated to have generated about 20 trillion won in total gains from selling its Kioxia Holdings Corp. investment during the first and second quarters of 2026
History of SK Hynix Kioxia investment
- ▪In 2018, a Bain Capital-led consortium that included SK Hynix Inc. acquired Toshiba Corp.'s former memory business, later renamed Kioxia Holdings Corp., for $18 billion
- ▪The value of SK Hynix Inc.'s indirect investment in Kioxia Holdings Corp. surged following Kioxia's 2024 Tokyo stock exchange listing and subsequent market rally
- ▪SK Hynix Inc. holds Kioxia Holdings Corp. bonds that are convertible into substantially all voting rights of an investment vehicle holding a 14% stake in Kioxia
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