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Samsung Posts Record $13.8B Q4 Profit on Chip Boom

Samsung Electronics announced a record-breaking operating profit of 20 trillion won ($13.8 billion) for the October-December quarter, marking a more than 200% increase from the previous year. The surge is attributed to a supercycle in the semiconductor industry, with DRAM and NAND flash prices jumping significantly. Sales for the quarter also reached a new high, surpassing 90 trillion won for the first time. Analysts project continued robust performance for 2025, fueled by rising memory prices and expanded high bandwidth memory shipments.

Key Points: Samsung Q4 Profit Hits Record $13.8 Billion

  • Record 20 trillion-won quarterly profit
  • Over 200% annual profit growth
  • Driven by surging chip prices
  • First time sales topped 90 trillion won
  • Strong 2025 outlook projected
2 min read

Samsung reports $13.8 billion operating profit in Oct-Dec quarter

Samsung Electronics reports a record quarterly operating profit of $13.8 billion, driven by a supercycle in the semiconductor industry.

"This year, Samsung Electronics is expected to post an annual operating profit of 123 trillion won - Kim Dong-won, KB Securities"

Seoul, Jan 8

Samsung Electronics on Thursday reported a record-breaking operating profit for the fourth quarter, touching the 20 trillion-won mark for the first time, driven by a supercycle in the chip industry.

The fourth-quarter operating profit marked a more than 200 percent rise from a year earlier, the company said in a preliminary earnings report.

If confirmed, it would mark the first time for the company's quarterly earnings to reach the 20 trillion-won level, reports Yonhap news agency.

Sales increased 22.7 percent to 93 trillion won. It was also the first time for the quarterly sales to surpass the 90 trillion-won mark.

The data for net profit was not available.

The operating profit was 1.8 percent higher than the average estimate, according to a survey by Yonhap Infomax, the financial data firm of Yonhap News Agency.

Samsung Electronics did not disclose a detailed earnings breakdown for its individual business divisions.

The company will release its final earnings report later this month.

Analysts said the increased earnings apparently came amid improved profitability at the Device Solutions (DS) division, which covers the company's core semiconductor business.

According to Korea Investment & Securities Co., global prices of dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash jumped about 40 percent in the fourth quarter from the previous three-month period.

Market observers estimate the operating profit of the DS division at around 16 trillion to 17 trillion won. The projection represents a sharp rise from just 7 trillion won posted in the third quarter.

Analysts said Samsung's non-memory business is also likely to have narrowed its operating losses, leading to an overall improvement in the division's performance.

Samsung's mobile business is estimated to have posted an operating profit in the 2 trillion-won range, while the home appliance business likely suffered an operating loss of 100 billion won, according to market watchers.

For the entire year of 2025, Samsung Electronics estimated its annual operating earnings at 43.53 trillion won, up 33 percent from a year earlier.

Annual sales increased 10.6 percent to 332.77 trillion won. Data for net profit was not available as well.

For 2026, analysts said Samsung Electronics is anticipated to maintain its robust performance, backed by its expanded high bandwidth memory (HBM) capacity.

"This year, Samsung Electronics is expected to post an annual operating profit of 123 trillion won, driven by a sharp rise in DRAM prices and increased HBM shipments," said Kim Dong-won, a researcher at KB Securities Co.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Impressive numbers, but it makes me think. My Samsung phone is great, but with such huge profits, I hope they invest more in long-term software support and better after-sales service here in India. We pay a premium too.
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Arjun K
The DRAM and NAND price jump is the key here. This directly affects the cost of our laptops and smartphones. Hope this doesn't lead to another round of price hikes for consumers in India. My budget for a new phone is already stretched!
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Sarah B
Working in tech in Bangalore, this news is everywhere. It underscores the strategic importance of semiconductors. While Samsung soars, it's a reminder of the opportunity for India if we can finally get our semiconductor fabs off the ground with serious investment and policy support.
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Karthik V
Record profit from chips, but home appliances division in loss. Interesting. In our Indian homes, Samsung ACs and fridges are very popular. Maybe they need to focus more on energy-efficient models suited for our long summers and frequent power scenarios.
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Vikram M
$13.8 billion in a quarter... that's mind-boggling. Puts into perspective the scale of global tech giants. Hope some of this profit gets reinvested in their R&D centre in Noida or Bangalore. We have the talent pool here to contribute to their next big innovation.

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