While Hynix avoided a loss in the third quarter of this year, weak memory chip prices meant that profits were far smaller than expected. Hynix is generally ranked as the world's second largest memory chip maker, behind local rival Samsung.
The company's profits fell almost 50 percent from US$353 million in the third quarter of 2006 to US$178 million one year later. Revenues grew 24 percent to US$2.65 billion.
“The increase in sales was primarily attributable to the improved pricing environment owing to seasonal demand for both DRAM and NAND flash in the earlier part of the quarter, as well as the company’s strategical movements to mitigate the rapid price drop that happened during the later part of the quarter. Such strategical movements include product mix shift to premium products such as graphics and mobile and larger sales exposure to long-term contract customers,” Hynix announced in a press statement.
Hynix has announced that it plans to reenter the potentially more profitable market for non-memory chips – starting with image sensors for camera phones and similar products. The company was barred from this market for six years under a restructuring agreement related to its parent firm.