'OpenAI Astra' Sets Off a Fire That Spreads to Semiconductor Materials, Components and Equipment Stocks

[Financial News] OpenAI’s new artificial intelligence (AI) model, GPT-6 Astra, has set off a rally in South Korean semiconductor materials, components and equipment stocks. Expectations that the spread of high-performance AI will drive up memory demand have extended buying interest beyond Samsung Electronics and SK hynix to equipment, materials and testing companies.
According to the Korea Exchange on the 7th, Doosan Tesna closed at 82,500 won, up 11.04% from the previous trading day on the KOSDAQ. TSE (10.57%), Jusung Engineering (4.94%), TES (4.02%), EO Technics (3.39%), U-JIN Tech (4.91%), Soulbrain (4.77%) and WONIK IPS (2.44%) also rose together. On the KOSPI, Hanmi Semiconductor gained 4.57% to close at 240,500 won, while Daeduck Electronics rose 4.12% to finish at 103,600 won. With SK hynix (8.26%) and Samsung Electronics (5.68%) posting strong gains, the positive momentum that began with large-cap semiconductor stocks spread across the entire semiconductor materials, components and equipment sector, including front-end, back-end and packaging companies.
The catalyst for the semiconductor tailwind was the strength of U.S. semiconductor stocks. On the New York Stock Exchange on the 4th, local time, the three major indexes all fell, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) rose 3.38%. Micron Technology surged 6.10%, SanDisk jumped 11.90%, and Seagate Technology and WDC gained 6.34% and 5.86%, respectively. SK hynix’s American depositary receipts (ADRs) also climbed 8.14%, concentrating buying interest in memory and storage-related stocks.
The market is focusing on the possibility that Astra’s arrival will expand demand for AI infrastructure. OpenAI explained that Astra delivers improved performance in coding, computer use and scientific research. The expectation is that if AI can handle a broader range of tasks, demand for services and data processing will increase, raising the importance of high-capacity memory and storage devices needed to support them.
This is also helping ease concerns about large-scale capital expenditures. If improvements in AI performance lead to broader real-world adoption, the case for continued data-center investment could grow stronger. The spread of benefits to South Korean semiconductor materials, components and equipment companies is also tied to capacity expansion. When semiconductor manufacturers build new production lines or convert processes, equipment orders increase, while higher utilization rates can stimulate demand for materials and consumable components.
Expectations for higher memory prices are thus translating into expectations for sales growth across the supply chain, beyond improved earnings for manufacturers. KB Securities forecast that, with Samsung Electronics’ and SK hynix’s memory inventories falling below 10 days in the third and fourth quarters, AI servers will absorb demand not only for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), but also for server DDR5 and enterprise solid-state drives (eSSDs). As a result, next year’s bit-based demand growth for DRAM and NAND is expected to exceed supply growth by more than 10 percentage points.
The IT team at Shinhan Investment & Securities’ Research Center also issued a report that day, stating, "This is the time to focus on the long-term growth opportunities for semiconductor materials, components and equipment companies. With the memory industry’s earnings growth expected to continue for at least two years, we believe the current period—following a short-term correction—is an opportune time to select related stocks and pursue an aggressive increase in portfolio weightings."
[email protected] Joo Won-gyu Reporter