Key facts
- Samsung Electronics estimated its second-quarter operating profit at 89.4 trillion won.
- This figure represents a 1,181 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
- Estimated second-quarter revenue rose 129.3 percent year-over-year to 171 trillion won.
- The company's performance is largely driven by strong demand for AI-related semiconductors.
- Samsung is the first in the industry to mass produce and ship HBM4 chips.
Samsung Electronics Co. has estimated its operating profit for the second quarter of 2026 to be 89.4 trillion won, marking a significant increase of 1,181 percent from the previous year and setting a new quarterly record. This surge in profit is primarily attributed to robust demand for semiconductors used in artificial intelligence infrastructure, which has led to elevated memory chip prices.
The company's revenue for the April-June period is projected to have risen by 129.3 percent year-over-year, reaching an estimated 171 trillion won. If confirmed, this would be the third consecutive quarter of record revenue and operating profit for Samsung, following similar achievements in the fourth quarter of last year.
Industry observers anticipate that the favorable market conditions for semiconductors will persist at least through the next year. Samsung, with its substantial memory chip production capacity, is seen as a major beneficiary of this AI supercycle. The company has also advanced its position by being the first to begin mass production of sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) chips.
The earnings guidance includes provisions for employee bonuses, stemming from a wage agreement in May that grants a special semiconductor performance bonus equivalent to 10.5 percent of business performance earnings. These bonuses are to be paid in company stock over at least 10 years and are linked to performance targets in the semiconductor division. Excluding these provisions, the quarterly operating profit is estimated to have reached approximately 100 trillion won.
While the device solutions unit, encompassing the semiconductor segment, is believed to have been the primary driver of these strong results, Samsung's device experience unit, which handles consumer electronics and mobile businesses, is expected to have reported weaker performance. The company is scheduled to release its final earnings report later this month.