Samsung Electronics has broken through the $1 trillion market capitalization mark for the first time in its history, climbing to 12th place in global corporate rankings. The South Korean tech giant joined the exclusive "$1 trillion club"—a symbol of mega-cap status in global markets—after overtaking America's Eli Lilly and Walmart.
According to CompaniesMarketCap, a U.S.-based market capitalization tracking website, Samsung Electronics recorded a market cap of $1.024 trillion (approximately 1,460.4 trillion won) based on closing prices on the 26th. The milestone came as Samsung shares surged 7.13% from the previous day to close at 218,000 won.
Samsung jumped two spots to 12th place globally, surpassing U.S. retailer Walmart ($1.002 trillion) and American biopharmaceutical company Eli Lilly ($970.6 billion). The gap to 11th-ranked Berkshire Hathaway ($1.065 trillion) stands at just $40 billion.
However, breaking into the top 10 would require overtaking Tesla, currently in 10th place with a market cap of $1.566 trillion. Samsung would need to increase its valuation by 52.8% from current levels to achieve that goal.
SK Hynix also closed up 7.96% from the previous day at 1,099,000 won, pushing its market capitalization to $532.2 billion (approximately 759 trillion won) and breaking through the $500 billion threshold for the first time. SK Hynix now ranks 21st globally, ahead of rival Micron Technology at $482.8 billion.
Securities firms at home and abroad continue to raise price targets for both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, reflecting expectations for a recovery in the memory chip sector.