Samsung Electronics posts record July-September operating profit of 107.4 trillion won
In short
Samsung Electronics said on October 8 that its preliminary operating profit for July-September 2026 was 107.4 trillion won, 8.8 times the year-earlier figure, on sales of 195 trillion won. Both are quarterly records. Japanese outlets attributed the rise to memory chip demand from the AI boom.
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Samsung Electronics said on October 8 that its preliminary consolidated operating profit for July-September 2026 was 107.4 trillion won. That is 8.8 times the figure for the same period a year earlier. Sales were 195 trillion won. Sankei Shimbun, carrying a Kyodo report, described this as 2.2 times the year-earlier level, and Jiji Press as a 126.6% increase. Both measures were quarterly records. Sankei said they had set records for the fourth straight quarter. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The outlets converted the profit into yen differently. Sankei gave about 13 trillion yen and Jiji about 12.66 trillion yen. Jiji put sales at about 23 trillion yen. [ 2 , 5 ]
Jiji reported that Samsung did not publish results by division. It said the semiconductor business, run by the Device Solutions division, was thought to have driven the gain, helped by higher chip demand and prices during the global AI boom. Sankei said growing demand for memory used in generative AI chips was thought to have lifted the semiconductor business sharply. [ 2 , 5 ]
Citing Yonhap, Sankei said it was the first time a South Korean company's quarterly operating profit had exceeded 100 trillion won. Jiji attributed the same point to Korean media. Jiji also reported that Samsung's cumulative operating profit for the first three quarters exceeded 250 trillion won, about 29 trillion yen, and that expectations were growing that full-year profit could reach 350 trillion won, about 41 trillion yen. [ 2 , 5 ]
Why it matters
Yonhap and other Korean media reported that this is the first time a South Korean company's quarterly operating profit has topped 100 trillion won. Jiji Press reported growing expectations that Samsung's full-year operating profit could reach 350 trillion won.
Key facts
- Preliminary July-September 2026 operating profit was 107.4 trillion won, 8.8 times the year-earlier level. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Sales rose to 195 trillion won; Sankei put this at 2.2 times the year-earlier figure and Jiji at a 126.6% increase. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Both operating profit and sales were quarterly records; Sankei said they set records for the fourth straight quarter. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- Samsung did not disclose results by division. [ 5 ]
- Korean media reported it was the first time a South Korean company's quarterly operating profit exceeded 100 trillion won. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Cumulative operating profit for the first three quarters of the year exceeded 250 trillion won, Jiji reported. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Samsung Electronics' July-September operating profit was 107.4 trillion won, 8.8 times (nearly nine times) the year-earlier level. [ 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Sales were 195 trillion won. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Operating profit and sales were quarterly records. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
- It was the first time a South Korean company's quarterly operating profit exceeded 100 trillion won, according to Korean media. [ 2 , 5 ]
- Growing memory and semiconductor demand from AI was seen as driving the rise. [ 2 , 5 ]
Still unclear
- How much each business contributed to the profit. Jiji reported that results by division were not disclosed; the role of the chip business is the outlets' assessment.
- The yen equivalent of the operating profit. Sankei (via Kyodo) put it at about 13 trillion yen, while Jiji put it at about 12.66 trillion yen.
- Whether full-year operating profit will reach 350 trillion won. Only Jiji reported this expectation, and it is a forecast.
- Whether the figures will change in final results. The figures are preliminary.