Quarterly results
Samsung Electronics closed the third quarter with a net profit of 75.13 trillion won, equal to about 56.2 billion dollars, up 514.6 percent from 12.22 trillion won in the same period a year earlier. The Korea Herald reports this, citing the company's regulatory filing. Operating profit rose 783.1 percent year on year to 107.44 trillion won, while revenue reached 195.25 trillion won, an increase of 126.9 percent.
The company said it is the first technology company in the world to exceed 100 trillion won in operating profit in a single quarter. According to the source, it is also the fourth consecutive quarter with record revenue and operating profit, a series that began in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The weight of semiconductors
The semiconductor division recorded an operating profit of 106.5 trillion won, equal to 99.1 percent of the group's overall operating result. Samsung attributes this outcome to expanded sales of sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory chips, the HBM4, and to responding to demand from AI servers. The company recalls that it was the first in the industry to start mass production and shipments of HBM4.
The almost total concentration of profit in the chip division indicates that the result depends to a large extent on the investment cycle in AI infrastructure. Samsung expects memory demand to continue growing in the fourth quarter and believes the sector will remain solid in 2027, supported by record-level investments and supply constraints.
Consumer electronics in the red and return to shareholders
The division that manages consumer electronics and mobile devices closed the quarter with an operating loss of 800 billion won, its second consecutive. Samsung nevertheless reports an increase in sales compared with the previous year, supported by the launch of new premium smartphones including the Galaxy Z Fold8, despite higher component costs and a difficult environment.
The board approved a cash dividend of 4,601 won per common and preferred share. The company expects total shareholder return this year of between 90 and 110 trillion won; net of the 35 trillion already distributed or committed, between 55 and 75 trillion remain to be allocated to dividends and to a substantial share buyback and cancellation program. The day before, rival SK hynix had announced a record profit and a shareholder remuneration plan exceeding 100 trillion won for 2026.
