Samsung posts record Q3 operating profit of $80 bn as AI chip demand soars

Samsung Electronics estimated third-quarter operating profit at 107.4 trillion won, about $80.2 billion, up 782% from 12.17 trillion won a year earlier and from 89.49 trillion won in the second quarter. Sales were about 195 trillion won, up 127%, implying an operating margin of roughly 55%. The result topped the 106.1 trillion won analysts expected, according to LSEG, and marked the first time a South Korean company's quarterly operating profit exceeded 100 trillion won.

The driver is memory for AI data centers. Samsung is selling high-bandwidth memory into AI accelerators while tight supply lifts prices for conventional DRAM and NAND. If confirmed, the figure would be the largest quarterly operating profit reported by a technology company, ahead of the $63.7 billion NVDA booked in its latest quarter. It is Samsung's fourth record quarter in a row, and the company gave no division breakdown in the preliminary release.

The market response was muted. Shares closed 2.42% lower at 262,000 won in Seoul, while the KOSPI fell 2.62%, as investors took profits and questioned how long the memory upcycle can last; the stock has nearly quadrupled since last September. The same morning, TSM reported record quarterly revenue, another sign that AI chip spending is still rising.

Full results with segment detail come on October 29. Watch the split between memory and other businesses, HBM supply commitments to AI chipmakers, and any guidance on memory pricing into 2027, which will test whether this margin level is sustainable.