SEOUL – Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday projected a record-breaking operating profit of around 20 trillion won ($13.8 billion) for the fourth quarter, fueled by a major comeback in the global semiconductor market.
In its preliminary earnings release, the tech giant said fourth-quarter operating profit surged by more than 200 percent year-on-year, marking the first time quarterly earnings have hit the 20 trillion-won mark.
Revenue also jumped, climbing 22.7 percent to 93 trillion won—another all-time quarterly high. The company did not disclose net profit figures.
According to Yonhap Infomax, the operating profit slightly beat market expectations.
While Samsung did not provide a detailed breakdown by business unit, analysts said the sharp increase was largely driven by stronger profitability in its Device Solutions (DS) semiconductor division, as prices of DRAM and NAND flash memory rose significantly.
For full-year 2025, Samsung estimated operating profit at 43.53 trillion won, up 33 percent from the previous year, with total sales reaching 332.77 trillion won.
Looking ahead, analysts expect the momentum to carry into 2026, backed by higher memory prices, expanded high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production, and growing demand from major global tech companies. Samsung shares edged slightly higher in afternoon trading.
The company is set to release its final earnings report later this month.
YONHAP PHOTO