Samsung reported third-quarter sales of 195.3 trillion won, a 127% increase from a year ago, as rising demand for AI memory chips drove quarterly operating profit to a record 107.4 trillion won. The result marks the first time a technology company has surpassed the 100 trillion won mark for operating profit in a single quarter, with the semiconductor business contributing 106.5 trillion won, or roughly 99% of the total. However, the company’s net profit of 75.21 trillion won fell short of analysts’ 89.06 trillion won estimate, and its shares declined 6% as smartphone and consumer electronics units recorded operating losses.
To support growth in high-bandwidth memory and DRAM, Samsung will increase capital expenditures to 84.4 trillion won in 2026, up from 52.7 trillion won in 2025. The company expects AI infrastructure spending to drive memory demand through 2027 and has set a target of 90 trillion to 110 trillion won in shareholder returns for the current year through buybacks and dividends.