Samsung Profit Set to Surge 753% on Chip Demand

Samsung Electronics is projecting more than $38 billion (KRW 57.2 trillion) in operating profit for the first quarter of 2026, which would mark its highest quarterly earnings to date.

The expected figure represents a 753% increase compared to the same period last year and would surpass the company’s total operating profit for all of 2025.

Earnings Overview

Samsung is forecasting sales of KRW 133 trillion for the first quarter of 2026, compared to KRW 93.84 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2025 and KRW 79.14 trillion in the first quarter of 2025.

Operating profit is expected to reach KRW 57.2 trillion, significantly higher than KRW 20.07 trillion in the previous quarter and KRW 6.69 trillion a year earlier.

Semiconductor Business Drives Growth

The strong performance is largely driven by Samsung’s semiconductor division, particularly its leadership in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips.

Major technology companies, including Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and OpenAI, are increasing demand for HBM chips to support AI data centers.

Demand for DRAM memory and NAND flash storage chips also remains strong, further strengthening Samsung’s position in the global semiconductor market.

Analysts expect the company’s growth to continue, with projections suggesting operating profit could reach around $220 billion for 2026 and approximately $330 billion in 2027.