In a regulatory filing on Tuesday, the South Korean tech giant estimated an operating profit of 12.1 trillion won ($8.8 billion) for the July–September period — well above market expectations of 10.1 trillion won, according to LSEG SmartEstimate data. This marks Samsung’s highest quarterly profit in more than three years, underscoring a gradual recovery in the global semiconductor market.
The company said revenue likely climbed 8.7 per cent year-on-year to 86 trillion won, driven by stronger shipments and firmer prices of conventional DRAM and NAND flash products.
Industry analysts noted that while progress in supplying HBM chips — used in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence (AI) systems — to major clients such as Nvidia was slower than expected, demand for commodity memory helped cushion the impact. Limited supply in the broader chip market also contributed to higher average selling prices.
The world’s largest memory chipmaker is expected to release its full third-quarter results later this month, including detailed earnings across its semiconductor, display, and mobile divisions.
The upbeat forecast reflects growing optimism that the global chip industry is emerging from a prolonged downturn, with AI-related investments and data centre expansions expected to drive demand into 2025.