Samsung Electronics' DRAM market share hits record in Q2

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co.'s share in the global computer memory chip market reached a record high in the second quarter even as a global slowdown drove down the prices of the key chip, data showed Sunday.
Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of computer memory chips, saw its sales of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips account for a record 41.6 percent of the global market in the April-June period, maintaining its No. 1 status, according to data compiled by market researcher iSuppli.
Its market share fell to 39.7 percent in the first quarter, but Samsung Electronics' sale of DRAM chips rose 2.7 percent on-quarter to US$3.35 billion in the second quarter, raising its global market share, data showed.
Hynix Semiconductor Inc., the world's second-largest maker of memory chips, secured the No. 2 spot with a 23.4 percent market share, followed by Japan-based Elpida Memory with 14.6 percent and U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology Inc. with 10.6 percent, according to the data.
The result came even as global chipmakers are suffering from a fall in DRAM chip prices throughout the year amid sluggish demand.
Samsung Electronics and Hynix Semiconductor have seen their stock prices fall 12 percent and 21 percent, respectively.
Market watchers said that since DRAM markets are traditionally stronger in the second half due to more seasonal demand than in the first half, a significant rebound in prices is unlikely.
sooyeon@yna.co.kr