Samsung Forecasts Nearly $80B Q3 Profit on AI Chip Demand

Samsung on Friday published preliminary financial results for the third quarter of 2026, reporting an operating profit of 107.4 trillion won (about $79.8 billion) driven by strong demand for AI-focused memory chips and a record profit margin.

Q3 revenue, profit growth and margin

Samsung said consolidated revenue for the quarter reached 195 trillion won (about $144.9 billion). The company reported that third-quarter operating profit rose 20 percent from the prior quarter and 782.5 percent year on year. Samsung further said its operating margin hit a record 55 percent, a level the company noted exceeds comparable figures reported by Apple. Samsung added that full-year profit is expected to surpass the cumulative profitability of the past 40 years, a company projection included in the preliminary release.

Memory leadership, HBM4 shipments and analyst outlook

Samsung attributed the surge largely to demand for AI-capable memory. The company said it has begun shipping HBM4 memory to Nvidia and has secured quality approval for HBM4E chips on the Rubin Ultra platform. Analysts quoted in the release project that operating profit could reach about 550 trillion won next year, roughly $408.7 billion.

Losses in other business units

Despite the strong performance in memory, Samsung reported losses in several other divisions. The company said its chipmaking division together with System LSI recorded a combined loss of about $743 million. Samsung's mobile division, Samsung MX, posted an operating loss of 1.5 trillion won (about $1.11 billion), which the company linked to higher RAM prices. Samsung also reported a loss of roughly $371.5 million in its TV and home appliances unit amid competition from brands including Hisense and TCL.

• Chipmaking and System LSI: ~ $743 million loss
• Samsung MX (mobile): 1.5 trillion won operating loss (~ $1.11 billion)
• TV and home appliances: ~ $371.5 million loss