Samsung Electronics on May 29 topped a market capitalisation of 2,000 trillion won after combining common and preferred shares. It comes about 4 months after it became a 1,000 trillion won company in January.

According to the Korea Exchange, Samsung Electronics ended up 17,500 won, or 5.84 percent, at 317,000 won. Samsung Electronics preferred shares closed up 11,600 won, or 6.08 percent, at 202,500 won.

Samsung Electronics' common-share market capitalisation is 1,853.3 trillion won and its preferred-share market capitalisation is 162.5 trillion won. Combined, the company's total market value is about 2,015.8 trillion won. This is the first time Samsung Electronics has topped 2,000 trillion won in market capitalisation at the close, including preferred shares.

Samsung Electronics' valuation has grown to a level that also tracks the market capitalisation of bitcoin, a leading global digital asset. With bitcoin's market value moving in the 2,300 trillion won range, the gap with Samsung Electronics' market capitalisation including preferred shares narrows to around 300 trillion won.

If the semiconductor rally continues, the pattern of a leading domestic company being compared with the market capitalisation of a global digital asset is expected to become even clearer.

SK Hynix is also closing in. SK Hynix ended the day up 44,000 won, or 1.92 percent, at 2,333,000 won. Its market capitalisation was tallied at 1,662.7 trillion won. The gap with Samsung Electronics' common-share market capitalisation narrowed to about 190.5 trillion won.

Demand for AI semiconductors centred on high-bandwidth memory (HBM) is continuing, intensifying market-capitalisation competition among the country's leading semiconductor stocks.

Samsung Electronics' sharp rise in share price was seen as reflecting expectations for next-generation memory and AI cooperation at the same time. Samsung Electronics said it began the world's first shipment of samples of HBM4E, its seventh-generation high-bandwidth memory product.

It follows the world's first mass-production shipment of HBM4, its sixth-generation product, in February. It has moved within 3 months to supply samples of the next-generation product, accelerating efforts to strengthen leadership in the AI memory market.

News that Samsung Electronics invested in Anthropic, the developer of the AI model "Claude", also stimulated investor sentiment. Anthropic said Samsung Electronics participated in its Series H investment round.

Expectations are growing for a recovery in Samsung Electronics' semiconductor business, with hopes rising not only for memory supply but also for contract manufacturing of Anthropic's AI chips.

In addition, expectations for an end to the Iran war grew, pushing major New York stock indexes to record highs. That risk-on mood also carried into South Korean markets and was seen as adding momentum to Samsung Electronics' rise.

In the brokerage industry, some assessments say Samsung Electronics has entered a re-rating phase as it reflects expectations for AI semiconductors and foundry business at the same time.