SK Hynix reported a near 8% dip in first-quarter operating profit to 7.4 trillion won ($5.2 billion), despite a 158% profit increase from AI demand and stockpiling ahead of U.S. tariffs. The company's revenue also fell by 10.8% to 17.6 trillion won during the same period. The demand surge for SK Hynix's products was driven by customers stockpiling chips used in PCs and smartphones, as well as stable demand in the server chip market. Some customers have requested frontloading of memory chip supplies, indicating a proactive approach to managing potential future supply chain disruptions. SK Hynix's performance was highlighted by a significant increase in sales of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips, which are crucial for AI applications. This contributed to an earnings surprise in the first quarter, showcasing the company's strength in the AI sector despite the overall profit decline.