TheBadPlaceUS Top News and Analysis | Samsung shares rise nearly 5% as profit seen jumping 8-fold on AI chip boom
Samsung shares rose as much as 4.8% on Tuesday after the South Korean technology giant forecast record quarterly profit driven by surging demand for artificial intelligence chips. In its preliminary earnings guidance, Samsung projected operating profit for the January-March quarter to reach 57.2 trillion won ($37.8 billion), more than eight times the 6.69 trillion won reported a year earlier. If realized, this would mark a quarterly record—nearly three times the previous high—and exceed LSEG SmartEstimate forecasts of 42.3 trillion won.
The company also estimated consolidated revenue would surge nearly 70% year-on-year to 133 trillion Korean won, with the growth primarily fueled by its memory chip business. Samsung’s Device Solutions division, which includes memory chips, contributed 39% of total revenue and 57% of operating profits in 2025. Explosive demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI computing has caused widespread shortages, pushing prices and volumes upward across the memory sector.
Samsung’s strong outlook reflects its efforts to reclaim leadership in the HBM market after losing an early advantage to rival SK Hynix. The company is expected to release its full earnings later this month, with analysts watching closely to confirm whether the AI-driven boom translates into sustained financial performance. The guidance underscores how AI infrastructure demand is reshaping the semiconductor landscape, positioning Samsung as a key beneficiary of the ongoing AI chip boom.