Archive · 8 Oct 2026
Samsung Forecasts Record Profit as AI Chip Demand Surges
Samsung expects to earn 107.4 trillion won in operating profit from July through September.
That is nearly nine times more than it earned in the same period a year earlier.
The company says it expects revenue of 195 trillion won.
Demand for memory chips used in AI equipment has grown, while supplies have remained tight, pushing chip prices higher.
This is helping Samsung's chip business.
But more expensive chips also raise costs for its phones and other electronics.
One analyst estimated that Samsung's shipments of a special AI-related memory chip rose close to 50% from the previous quarter.
The articles disagree about whether the chip shortage could continue into 2027 or 2028.
Samsung plans to publish detailed results on October 29.
Samsung forecast third-quarter operating profit of 107.4 trillion won ($80.17 billion), nearly nine times its year-earlier profit.
The forecast topped the LSEG SmartEstimate of 106.1 trillion won, though another report said Samsung's results fell short of market expectations.
Samsung projected revenue of 195 trillion won, up 127% from a year earlier; detailed results are due October 29.
AI-related demand and tight DRAM, NAND and high-bandwidth memory supply have driven up chip prices and supported earnings.
Higher component costs are pressuring Samsung's phone and consumer-electronics businesses; sources differ on whether the supply imbalance could last into 2027 or 2028.
- Who
- Samsung Electronics
- What
- Forecast third-quarter operating profit of 107.4 trillion won, nearly nine times the year-earlier figure.
- When
- The forecast was reported on October 8, 2026, for the July–September quarter.
- Where
- Seoul, South Korea.
- Why
- Strong demand for AI infrastructure memory chips and tight supply have raised chip prices.
Record Earnings and AI Demand
Caution and Business Pressures
How the forecast compares with expectations
Record Earnings and AI Demand
One report says the 107.4 trillion won forecast exceeded the 106.1 trillion won LSEG SmartEstimate.
Caution and Business Pressures
Another report says the record forecast fell short of market expectations, without specifying the same benchmark.
Benefits and costs of higher memory prices
Record Earnings and AI Demand
Tight supply and AI-related demand are lifting memory prices and supporting Samsung's semiconductor earnings.
Caution and Business Pressures
Higher memory prices raise component costs for Samsung's smartphone and consumer-electronics businesses, while analysts reported a mobile-business loss exceeding $1 billion.
How long the supply imbalance may last
Record Earnings and AI Demand
One report says the memory supply-demand gap is expected to persist into 2027.
Caution and Business Pressures
Another says Samsung and Micron expect the imbalance to continue into 2028, while also citing Chinese competition and a possible slowdown in AI spending as risks.
- Forecast operating profit
- 107.4 trillion won ($80.17 billion)
- Year-earlier operating profit
- 12.17 trillion won
- LSEG SmartEstimate
- 106.1 trillion won
- Forecast revenue
- 195 trillion won, up 127% year over year
- Quarter covered
- July–September 2026
- Detailed results due
- October 29
- Reported business pressures
- Higher memory-component costs are weighing on mobile and consumer-electronics businesses; analysts also expect the foundry business to remain loss-making.
- Supply outlook
- One report says the imbalance may persist into 2027; another says Samsung and Micron expect it to persist into 2028.
