Samsung chip division's 1-year profit beat past 40 years of profits, combined

4 hours ago

Samsung's chip division is projected to achieve greater operating profit in 2026 than its cumulative profit over the past 40 years in the semiconductor business, driven by increased memory and storage prices.
Samsung surpassed Nvidia to become the world's most profitable company in the second quarter of 2026, with a 19-fold increase in quarterly operating profit, largely due to AI-driven memory demand.
The DS division accounted for about 94% of Samsung's total operating profit in the first quarter of 2026, with full-year 2026 operating profit estimated near 300 trillion won ($196 billion).
Contract prices for DRAM and NAND have risen sharply in 2026, with AI server demand leading to supply shortages and operating margins of 40% to 50% on NAND in the first half.
Samsung is negotiating further price increases for commodity DRAM in the third quarter and expects tight memory supply to continue through at least 2027.

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