As of October 10, 2026, Samsung Electronics has reported the largest quarterly operating profit ever posted by a technology company: 107.4 trillion won for the third quarter of 2026, announced October 8 as preliminary consolidated results. It is the first time any global tech company has crossed 100 trillion won in a quarter.
Why the 107.4 Trillion Won Quarter Matters
Preliminary figures put third-quarter revenue at 195 trillion won, with operating profit up 782.5% from 12.17 trillion won a year earlier, according to Maeil Business. Operating margin reached roughly 55.1% — about 55 won of every 100 won in sales kept as profit — per ETNews.
The scale also reset the global comparison. Newsis notes the result surpasses the best quarterly operating profit of Nvidia, Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta; apart from Saudi Aramco’s 2022 quarter, no company had reached this level.
Where the Profit Came From: Memory, Almost Entirely
The driver is a historic memory-price upcycle. Per ZDNet Korea, PC DRAM (DDR4 8Gb) traded at $26 in September versus $6.30 a year earlier, a 312.7% rise, while NAND flash climbed 707.39% to $30.6. Global tech companies are pouring money into AI infrastructure to secure HBM and server DDR5, and Samsung’s sixth-generation HBM4 — in volume production since the first half — supplies Nvidia’s “Vera Rubin” accelerator, per Newsis.
The segment split is an estimate, not a disclosure. Meritz Securities estimates memory inside the DS division generated about 111.9 trillion won in operating profit — more than the company total — while non-memory DS units lost about 1.9 trillion won, per Newsis.
What It Means for the Market
Nine-month results underline the run: revenue of 500.37 trillion won and operating profit of 254.1 trillion won through September, per TheElec. AMD CEO Lisa Su named Samsung and SK Hynix as core memory supply-chain partners in Seoul on October 7, stressing cooperation across multiple HBM generations, per Yonhap News.
The open question is sustainability. ETNews notes markets are watching whether fourth-quarter results hold, with TrendForce forecasting fourth-quarter commodity DRAM prices up 10-15% and NAND 15-20% quarter over quarter. SK Hynix reports its own third quarter on October 28 or 29, with consensus at 74.3433 trillion won in operating profit, per Yonhap News — the next test of whether Korean memory makers can keep the margin structure that made this record possible.
Key Takeaways
- ▲ Samsung’s Q3 operating profit hit a record 107.4 trillion won, up 782.5% year over year — the first 100 trillion won quarter at any global tech company.
- ▲ Operating margin reached about 55.1%, with memory prices up 312.7% (DRAM) and 707.39% (NAND) over one year.
- ■ Meritz Securities estimates memory alone earned about 111.9 trillion won — an estimate pending Samsung’s October 29 segment disclosure.
- ■ SK Hynix reports Q3 on October 28 or 29, with consensus at 74.3433 trillion won in operating profit.
FAQ
What was Samsung’s Q3 2026 operating profit?
Preliminary consolidated results announced October 8 put third-quarter operating profit at 107.4 trillion won on revenue of 195 trillion won, up 782.5% and 126.59% respectively from a year earlier.
Why did Samsung’s profit jump so much?
Global tech companies are pouring money into AI infrastructure to secure HBM and server DDR5, driving steep memory price increases — benchmark DRAM prices rose 312.7% and NAND flash 707.39% over one year — with Samsung’s HBM4 supply to Nvidia’s “Vera Rubin” accelerator adding high-value memory sales.
When will Samsung’s full segment results be confirmed?
The preliminary figures are IFRS-based estimates; Samsung is scheduled to publish confirmed division-level results at its earnings call on October 29.
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