SAMSUNG Electronics Co. on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, estimated a record operating profit of about 20 trillion won (US$13.8 billion) for the fourth quarter, driven by a strong rebound in the global semiconductor market.
In a preliminary earnings report, the company said fourth-quarter operating profit jumped more than 200 percent from a year earlier, marking the first time its quarterly earnings reached the 20 trillion-won level.
Sales rose 22.7 percent to 93 trillion won, also a quarterly record. Data on net profit was not disclosed.
The operating profit slightly exceeded market expectations, according to Yonhap Infomax.
Samsung did not release a detailed breakdown by business division, but analysts attributed the surge mainly to improved profitability in its Device Solutions (DS) semiconductor unit amid a sharp rise in DRAM and NAND flash prices.
For the full-year 2025, Samsung estimated operating profit at 43.53 trillion won, up 33 percent year-on-year, with sales reaching 332.77 trillion won.
Analysts expect strong performance to continue in 2026, supported by higher memory prices, expanded high bandwidth memory (HBM) capacity, and rising demand from major tech firms. Shares of Samsung were slightly higher in afternoon trading.
The company will release its final earnings report later this month. / YONHAP VIA PNA