Seoul:Samsung Electronics Co. announced an estimated third-quarter operating profit of over 107 trillion won (US$79.8 billion), setting a new quarterly record. This surge is attributed to increased semiconductor demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI).
According to Yonhap News Agency, Samsung's operating profit for July to September is projected to be 107.4 trillion won, a 782.5 percent increase from last year. This estimate surpasses the market forecast by 1.6 percent, as reported by Yonhap Infomax.
The company's third-quarter revenue is expected to have increased by 126.6 percent from the previous year, reaching 195 trillion won. However, net profit figures were not disclosed in the earnings guidance.
If confirmed, this would be the fourth consecutive quarter of record revenue and operating profit for Samsung since late 2025. It marks the first instance of a South Korean company achieving a quarterly operating profit exceeding 100 trillion won. This milestone is unmatched even by global tech giants like Apple Inc. and Nvidia Corp., with the only similar case being Saudi Aramco's $86.5 billion operating profit in the second quarter of 2022.
Samsung's operating profit margin is estimated at 55.1 percent, the highest in its history. The semiconductor segment, part of its device solutions unit, likely played a significant role in this success, thanks to rising global AI infrastructure investments.
Despite the strong performance, some non-memory chip businesses, including system LSI and foundry, are believed to have incurred operating losses of approximately 1 trillion won. Meanwhile, the device experience division, which handles consumer electronics and mobile businesses, reportedly experienced operating losses for the second consecutive quarter.
Samsung's mobile and network divisions are thought to have lost over 1.5 trillion won, while its visual display and digital appliances businesses might have lost around 500 billion won. The company plans to release its final earnings report later this month.