Samsung reports KRW 107.4 trillion Q3 profit as AI memory lifts chip unit

Samsung Electronics reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of KRW 195.3 trillion and operating profit of KRW 107.4 trillion. Its semiconductor division supplied nearly all of that profit as AI memory demand remained strong, while revenue reached another all-time quarterly high.

Device Solutions recorded KRW 147.1 trillion in consolidated revenue, up 15% from the previous quarter, and KRW 106.5 trillion in operating profit. That amounted to about 99% of Samsung’s consolidated operating profit for the quarter.

The full results supply the divisional detail missing from Samsung’s October 8 preliminary guidance, which estimated sales at about KRW 195 trillion and operating profit at KRW 107.4 trillion.

Samsung said its Memory Business set quarterly records for revenue and operating profit. It credited an AI-focused product mix amid capacity constraints, while strong server demand lifted memory prices across applications. The quarter provides a direct comparison with SK hynix’s record quarterly profit amid rising AI-memory demand.

The company said it significantly increased HBM4 sales and responded to growing demand for server solid-state drives. It did not disclose shipment, customer or product-level revenue figures for either category. Samsung expects fourth-quarter demand to grow around memory products for new CPU and GPU platforms, and linked rising demand for QLC solid-state drives to the expansion of personal AI-agent services.

Samsung forecast that AI-infrastructure capital expenditure will reach a historic level in 2027, with AI-driven memory-demand growth far exceeding industry supply compared with 2026. Those projections are company forecasts, not independently established outcomes.

Capital expenditure reached KRW 29 trillion in the third quarter, including KRW 27.2 trillion for Device Solutions and KRW 1.1 trillion for Samsung Display. Spending totaled KRW 56.9 trillion for the first nine months of the year.

For the full year, Samsung expects capital expenditure of about KRW 84.4 trillion, including KRW 76.8 trillion for Device Solutions and KRW 3.9 trillion for Samsung Display. The company said the semiconductor investment will fund new fabs and other infrastructure for AI and high-performance-computing demand, while preparing for longer-term capacity needs.

Outside the chip division, Device eXperience posted an operating loss of KRW 0.8 trillion despite an 8% quarter-over-quarter revenue increase. Samsung Display reported KRW 8.0 trillion in revenue and KRW 1.1 trillion in operating profit. Mobile eXperience and Networks recorded combined revenue of KRW 37.7 trillion and an operating loss of KRW 0.6 trillion, while Visual Display and Digital Appliances posted combined revenue of KRW 13.9 trillion and an operating loss of KRW 0.2 trillion.

Samsung said its Foundry Business improved revenue and earnings through sales of HBM base dies and advanced-node products, along with additional 2-nanometer high-performance-computing orders that included major hyperscalers. The company expects its Taylor, Texas, fab to begin operations in 2027 as it expands global supply capacity.