SEOUL, Jan 7 — GeokHub Shares of Hyundai Motor surged nearly 15% on Wednesday to an all-time high, sharply outperforming South Korea’s broader stock market, as investors bet on a possible expansion of the automaker’s relationship with U.S. chip giant Nvidia.
The rally followed growing speculation that ties between the two companies could deepen beyond a traditional supplier arrangement, after Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung met Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang on the sidelines of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Hyundai recently announced plans to deploy Atlas humanoid robots across its manufacturing facilities, but market analysts said that disclosure alone did not justify the scale of the stock’s jump. Production of the robots is expected to reach about 30,000 units by 2028, and the Atlas model shown at CES was presented only as a non-functional mock-up.
Instead, analysts say investors are increasingly pricing in the possibility that Nvidia could play a broader strategic role within the Hyundai Motor Group — potentially including deeper technology integration or even equity investments in Hyundai affiliates.
The speculation has fueled optimism not only for Hyundai Motor shares, but also for related companies across the group, as markets look for signs that artificial intelligence and advanced robotics could become a major growth driver for the automaker.
