Samsung Electronics projected its first-quarter operating profit to exceed 50 trillion won ($33.1 billion), marking a significant milestone driven by high demand for premium memory chips from the AI sector. The South Korean tech giant anticipated an operating profit of 57.2 trillion won for the January-March period, a substantial increase from the previous year’s 6.61 trillion won. This figure surpassed the average estimate by 36.7 percent, as reported by Yonhap Infomax.
The company’s revenue for the first quarter surged by 68.1 percent year-on-year to 133 trillion won, surpassing 100 trillion won for the first time and setting a new quarterly record. Although specific net earnings data was not disclosed, Samsung Electronics did not provide a detailed breakdown of earnings by business division. Analysts suggest that the device solutions (DS) unit, particularly the semiconductor segment, likely contributed significantly to the strong performance.
Samsung Electronics’ efforts to expand the supply of sixth-generation high bandwidth memory, HBM4, in response to the growing demand for AI infrastructure have been noteworthy. Analysts speculate that the DS arm may have recorded an operating profit of approximately 50 trillion won in the first quarter, a substantial increase from the previous quarter’s 16.4 trillion won. On the other hand, the device experience (DX) arm, encompassing mobile and TV businesses, may have faced challenges due to rising production costs.
Looking ahead, analysts predict continued growth momentum for Samsung Electronics in 2026, with estimates suggesting an annual operating profit of 302 trillion won, a 50 percent increase from the previous outlook. The company’s strategic partnerships with major hyperscale clients are expected to contribute to sustained robust earnings in the mid- to long-term. Samsung Electronics is set to release its final earnings report later this month.
