[THE INVESTOR] SK hynix will remain on a stable upcycle, said NH Investment and Securities on May 30, raising the target price to 77,000 won (US$68.57) from 71,000 won. 

Its operating profit in the second quarter will reach 3.1 trillion won on the back of strong DRAM price, forecast analyst Lee Se-cheol. 

Despite market concerns, the semiconductor industry will continue to enjoy a boom for a long time, as NAND market is growing, and firms are focusing on the memory chips, explained the analyst. 

The semiconductor company’s operating profit from NAND sector last year was 21 billion won but will leap to 1.8 trillion won this year, and it will secure competitive edge with 72-layer 3-D chips in the second half, forecast Lee. 

By Hwang You-mee (glamazon@heraldcorp.com)