Samsung Electronics is on track to record its strongest quarterly profit ever as the global artificial intelligence boom drives unprecedented demand for memory chips used in AI data centres.
The South Korean technology giant expects operating profit of 107.4 trillion won, equivalent to about $80.17 billion, for the third quarter of 2026.
The figure represents a nearly nine-fold increase from the 12.17 trillion won recorded in the same period a year earlier and marks Samsung’s fourth consecutive quarter of record operating profit.
The surge has been driven primarily by the company’s semiconductor business, where demand for memory chips has risen sharply as technology companies expand their AI infrastructure.
High-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is essential for processing the large volumes of data required by advanced AI systems, has become particularly important as companies race to build increasingly powerful data centres.
Samsung has also benefited from higher prices for conventional DRAM and NAND memory chips amid a global supply shortage.
The company expects third-quarter revenue to reach about 195 trillion won, representing a 127 percent increase from the same period last year.
The scale of the expected profit makes the result particularly significant. Samsung is set to become the first major technology company to surpass 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit.
The performance reflects the growing financial impact of AI investment across the semiconductor industry.
Companies developing AI systems are spending heavily on computing infrastructure, increasing demand for the chips and memory components needed to power data centres.
Samsung is one of the world’s largest memory-chip manufacturers and competes with companies such as SK Hynix and Micron in a market that has experienced a prolonged supply squeeze.
However, the AI-driven boom has not benefited all parts of Samsung’s business equally.
Higher semiconductor prices have increased costs for manufacturers of smartphones and consumer electronics, putting pressure on some of Samsung’s other divisions.
Analysts expect the company’s mobile business to have suffered a loss of more than $1 billion during the quarter, while its contract chipmaking business is also expected to remain under pressure.
Samsung also faces questions about how long the current surge in chip prices and AI-related demand can continue.
While memory shortages are expected to persist into 2027 and potentially 2028, analysts have warned that the pace of price increases could slow as supply expands and AI investment eventually becomes more measured.
The company’s shares have also reflected some of those concerns.
Despite the record earnings outlook, Samsung’s stock fell after the announcement as investors focused on whether the rapid growth in profits can be sustained.
Samsung is expected to release its full third-quarter results, including a detailed breakdown of its business divisions, on October 29.
For now, the record forecast underlines the enormous financial impact of the AI boom and Samsung’s position as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global race to build AI infrastructure.
