Samsung Electronics Reports Record $13.8 Billion Operating Profit in Q4

Seoul: Samsung Electronics has recorded its highest-ever operating profit for the October-December quarter of the current fiscal year, driven by a strong surge in demand within the chip industry. The company’s operating profit for the fourth quarter reached 20 trillion won, approximately $13.8 billion, marking a significant milestone.

In its initial earnings report, Samsung stated that its operating profit for the quarter increased by more than 200 percent compared to the same period last year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, if the final figures remain unchanged, this will be the first time Samsung’s quarterly profit has crossed the 20 trillion won mark.

The company’s total sales for the quarter rose 22.7 percent to 93 trillion won, surpassing the 90 trillion won mark for the first time. However, Samsung has not yet disclosed its net profit figures.

A survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax, a financial data firm, indicated that Samsung’s operating profit was 1.8 percent higher than the market’s average estimate. The company has not yet provided a detailed breakdown of its various business divisions, with the final report expected later this month.

Experts highlight that Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division, which includes its core semiconductor business, saw substantial profit growth. Korea Investment & Securities noted that global prices for Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and NAND flash increased by nearly 40 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the previous three months.

Market analysts estimate that the DS division’s operating profit ranged between 16 and 17 trillion won, a significant rise from 7 trillion won in the previous quarter, improving the overall performance of the division.

In the mobile phone business, Samsung reportedly earned around 2 trillion won in profit, while its home appliances division is expected to have incurred a loss of approximately 100 billion won.

For the full year 2025, Samsung Electronics has projected an annual operating profit of 43.53 trillion won, a 33 percent increase from the previous year. Annual sales are also expected to rise by 10.6 percent to 332.77 trillion won. The company has not yet released net profit data for the year.

Experts believe Samsung’s performance will remain strong in 2026, supported by increased capacity in high-bandwidth memory (HBM).

Kim Dong-won, a researcher at KB Securities, stated that due to the sharp rise in DRAM prices and increased shipments of HBM this year, Samsung Electronics’ operating profit could reach up to 123 trillion won.