Samsung confirms record-breaking operating profit on soaring AI memory chip demand

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. today confirmed it has set a new world record for quarterly profit in the technology industry.

It delivered a stunning 107.44 trillion won ($80.5 billion) in third-quarter operating profit on the back of soaring demand for the memory chips fueling the artificial intelligence boom.

The company also reported 195.25 trillion won in revenue during the quarter, up 127% from the same period one year ago. In addition, it said its board has approved a 30 trillion won cash dividend for shareholders. Samsung’s operating profit surged more than 780% from the year prior, while its net profit increased by 515%, to 75.15 trillion won.

The impressive results confirmed what Samsung had projected in its preliminary earnings guidance at the beginning of the month, making it the first South Korean company in any industry to cross the 100 trillion won mark in terms of quarterly operating profit.

Samsung is benefiting from unparalleled demand for memory chips, which is being driven by heavy investment from hyperscalers in AI infrastructure. That demand has led to global shortages of memory chips and soaring prices. The lion’s share of Samsung’s revenue and profit stemmed from its Device Solutions unit, which houses its semiconductor business. The company is one of the world’s three biggest suppliers of memory chips, and that helped the unit to generate a massive 147.1 trillion won in revenue and 106.5 trillion won in operating profit.

Samsung’s results come just one day after its Korean rival SK hynix Inc. reported strong earnings of its own and provided an upbeat outlook. The company echoed what its rival said when it forecast the global memory chip shortage to deepen in fiscal 2027. The companies’ strong performances will help to ease market concerns that AI chipmaker’s earnings could lose momentum if the AI boom starts to fizzle out amid funding concerns. Samsung’s stock rose 2% during early trading in South Korea on Thursday morning.

Samsung’s memory chip business could become even more profitable in the coming months. During the quarter, it announced a new partnership with the French AI model maker Mistral AI. As part of that collaboration, Samsung plans to integrate AI within its semiconductor design and manufacturing operations, with the aim of optimizing those processes.

Elsewhere, Samsung’s display business delivered 8 trillion won in revenue and an operating profit of 1.1 trillion won. However, the MX and Networks business unit, which includes sales of Samsung’s smartphones, posted an operating loss of 0.6 trillion won on total sales of 37.7 trillion won.

Samsung’s smartphone sales have been a direct victim of the rising costs of memory chips, which has been reflected in the higher prices of many of its handsets this year. However, the company said it’s hopeful of a boost in the fourth quarter, which is traditionally the peak season for smartphone sales, centered on new flagship devices such as the Galaxy S26 series, the Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra and the Z Fold8.

Samsung said it will pay 30 trillion won in dividends to shareholders for the third quarter, amounting to about 4,601 won per share.

Photo: Samsung