Samsung Electronics forecasts record profit in fourth quarter
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said Thursday it expected its fourth-quarter profit to reach a record 20 trillion won ($13.8 billion).
The firm is one of the world’s top memory chip makers, providing crucial components for artificial intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure it relies on.
Its strong forecast comes on the back of soaring demand for high-performance memory chips used in data centres and other infrastructure supporting the AI industry.
Samsung said Thursday it expected operating profit to range between “19.8 trillion and 20.1 trillion won”, which would surpass its record quarterly profit of 17.6 trillion won set in the third quarter of 2018.
If confirmed in its final earnings report, due to be released later this month, the figure would mark an increase of around 200 percent year on year.
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AI boom
Sales are expected to range between 92 trillion and 94 trillion won, which would also break the record of 86 trillion won set in the third quarter of 2025.
Soaring global demand for semiconductors fueled by an AI boom sent South Korea’s exports to their highest-ever level in 2025, official data showed last week.
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South Korea is also home to SK hynix, another key player in the global semiconductor market.
Fueled by strong semiconductor sales, Samsung Electronics’ shares have risen more than 120 percent over the past six months, a trend shared by other South Korean chip makers.
“With the AI sector at the centre, demand for semiconductors is rising… with the chip industry entering a super-cycle,” said Chung Hae-chang, an analyst at Daishin Securities.
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to triple spending on AI this year, a move aimed at propelling the country into the ranks of the world’s top three AI powers behind the United States and China.
