SEOUL: South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics said Thursday it expected its fourth-quarter profit to reach a record 20 trillion won (US$13.8 billion).
Samsung said it expected operating profit to range between “19.8 trillion and 20.1 trillion won”, which would surpass its record quarterly profit of 17.6 trillion won set in the third quarter of 2018.
If confirmed in its final earnings report, due to be released later this month, the figure would mark an increase of around 200% year on year.
Sales are expected to range between 92 trillion and 94 trillion won, which would also break the record of 86 trillion won set in the third quarter of 2025.
The strong forecast comes on the back of robust demand for high-performance memory chips used in data centres and other infrastructure supporting the artificial intelligence (AI) industry.
Soaring global demand for semiconductors fuelled by an AI boom sent South Korea’s exports to their highest-ever level in 2025, official data showed last week.
Samsung Electronics is one of the world’s top memory-chip makers, providing crucial components for the AI industry and the infrastructure it relies on.
South Korea is also home to SK hynix, another key player in the global semiconductor market.
President Lee Jae Myung has vowed to triple spending on AI this year, a move aimed at propelling the country into the ranks of the world’s top three AI powers behind the United States and China.
