According to a report from Samsung, their operating profit in October to December 2025 was 20 trillion won (13.8 billion USD), thanks to a strong growth cycle in the chip industry. This figure increased by more than 200% compared to the same period in 2024.
This profit exceeded the record that Samsung created in the third quarter of 2018 of 17.6 trillion won.
Samsung's total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 also increased by 22.7% compared to the same period in 2024, reaching 93 trillion won. This is also the first time this group's quarterly revenue has exceeded 90 trillion won.
According to observers, Samsung's revenue and profit surges are taking place in the context of chip manufacturers like Nvidia competing for limited supply of memory chips used for artificial intelligence applications.
As memory manufacturers prioritize increasing capacity to meet AI needs, this has contributed to a larger market shortage, affecting chips used in personal computers and smartphones.
Not long ago, market research company Counterpoint Research noted that the memory market has entered a "super growth" phase, with current conditions far exceeding the historical peak of 2018.
According to market experts' estimates, memory prices increased by 40%-50% in the last quarter of 2025 and are expected to increase similarly in the first quarter of 2026, followed by an increase of about 20% in the second quarter.
Fluctuations in the chip market have pushed production costs up for most consumer electronics manufacturers. However, it brings great advantages to giants in the memory chip field such as Samsung and their main competitors, SK Hynix and Micron.
For the whole year 2025, Samsung Electronics estimates that annual operating profit reached 43.53 trillion won, an increase of 33% compared to 2024. Annual revenue increased by 10.6% to 332.77 trillion won.
According to analysts, by 2026, Samsung Electronics is expected to maintain strong business performance, supported by the ability to expand high-bandwidth memory (HBM) production. This is considered Samsung's focus this year.
This year, Samsung Electronics is expected to achieve annual operating profit of 123 trillion won, thanks to the sharp increase in DRAM prices and increased HBM shipments," according to Kim Dong-won, market research expert at KB Securities Co.
Mr. Kim added that Samsung's HBM sales are expected to reach 26 trillion won in 2026, three times higher than last year, amid speculation that Samsung Electronics will participate in the HBM4 supply chain for major technology companies, including Nvidia and Google.
