[Analysts Expect SK Hynix to Announce Buyback Plan 'Soon'] BlockBeats News, August 5: Boosted by the overnight rise in U.S. chipmaker stock prices and market speculation that SK Hynix may soon announce details of a stock buyback plan and other shareholder return initiatives, the company's stock price has climbed. As a key supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips for NVIDIA, SK Hynix's shares surged as much as 7.9% during Wednesday morning trading in Seoul, surpassing competitor Samsung Electronics' 6% gain. Analysts and local Korean media have focused on the 25 trading-day "quiet period" following the issuance of SK Hynix's American Depositary Receipts (ADR), which ended on August 4. The market anticipates that the end of the quiet period will clear the way for the company to disclose its shareholder return plans. Independent analyst Douglas Kim stated, "In my view, considering the end of the quiet period on August 4, SK Hynix is very likely to announce a significant shareholder return plan soon." He added that the plan "may include a combination of stock buybacks, share cancellations, and special dividends." Several brokerage firms, including William Blair, initiated coverage of SK Hynix ADR overnight, assigning a "Buy" rating. (Jin10)