# Samsung, SK Hynix prep record shareholder returns amid AI boom > Source: > Published: 2026-08-20 07:53:22+00:00 # Samsung, SK Hynix prep record shareholder returns amid AI boom Samsung to announce plan worth more than US$72 billion; SK Hynix will buy back US$29 billion of stock SAMSUNG Electronics and SK Hynix are preparing record shareholder returns after investors sent their stocks tumbling over concerns around the sustainability of AI hardware spending. Samsung will soon announce a plan worth more than 100 trillion won (US$72 billion), South Korean financial news site MoneyToday reported on Thursday (Aug 20), citing unidentified industry officials. After SK Hynix unveiled its own programme to buy back 40 trillion won of stock, JPMorgan Chase said the company may follow that up with additional returns worth at least US$130 billion. Samsung’s shares gained as much as 10.3 per cent, while SK Hynix rose 14.7 per cent. The rival South Korean memory chipmakers are facing concerns over the [durability of the AI spending boom.](https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/are-investors-really-getting-cold-feet-about-ai-boom) Surging demand for their high-bandwidth memory chips needed to power data centres has strengthened their balance sheets, and investors are increasingly looking for that windfall to flow back to them. Samsung is planning to use 50 per cent of its free cash flow for shareholder returns, with the measures expected to focus mainly on cash dividends, MoneyToday reported. The company is expected to finalise the programme after a board meeting in August, it said. Samsung said in a text message that it had no comment on the report, pointing to remarks made by chief financial officer Park Sooncheol during its July earnings call. “We will soon share a plan to find the optimal balance between maximising shareholder value and re-investment for future growth,” he said at the time. On Wednesday, SK Hynix said it will buy back as many as 24 million shares and cancel them by mid-November. It also raised its shareholder return pledge to more than 50 per cent of cumulative free cash flow from 2025 to 2027, equivalent to about US$170 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations. That is up from a previous target of up to 50 per cent. The shareholder returns underscore the chipmakers’ confidence that they have the financial firepower to support their stocks while continuing to fund the heavy investment needed to capitalise on AI-driven demand. BLOOMBERG Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free. Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services