Samsung Forecasts Record 20 Trillion Won Q4 Operating Profit

Samsung Electronics forecast a record-breaking operating profit of approximately 20 trillion won ($13.8 billion) for the fourth quarter of 2025. This projection represents a year-on-year increase of roughly 200% and surpasses the company's previous quarterly record set in 2018. The company expects consolidated sales for the period to reach approximately 93 trillion won, a 23% increase.

The surge is driven by a semiconductor supercycle fueled by global demand for high-performance memory chips, specifically high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and DRAM, used in artificial intelligence servers and data centers. Chip sales are expected to account for roughly 17 trillion won of the quarterly profit. To capitalize on this trend, Samsung reallocated production capacity toward high-margin enterprise products like DDR5 modules.

While the semiconductor, mobile experience, and display units contributed gains, the television and home appliance division projected an operating loss of 100 billion won due to weak consumer demand and high competition. Additionally, Co-CEO TM Roh cautioned that shifting production toward AI chips has strained supply chains and increased component costs for smartphones and PCs, potentially dampening consumer demand.

For the full year of 2025, Samsung estimated annual operating earnings at 43.53 trillion won, up 33% from the previous year, with annual revenue expected to reach 332.7 trillion won. The company plans to release its finalized earnings report on January 29, 2026.