Samsung Electronics expected to post nine-fold Q3 profit jump on AI demand

Samsung Electronics is expected to report a third-quarter operating profit of around 106.1 trillion won, or approximately $79.1 billion, for the July-September 2026 period. A year ago, the same quarter produced 12.17 trillion won. That puts the projected gain at nearly nine-fold, driven mainly by demand for the memory chips that power artificial intelligence. The company is scheduled to release preliminary earnings guidance on October 8, 2026. If the numbers land where analysts expect, Samsung could become the first South Korean company to clear 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit. What is driving the numbers The engine behind the surge is AI infrastructure, specifically high-bandwidth memory, or HBM. HBM stacks memory chips vertically and places them right next to the processor, so data moves faster and with less wasted energy. That makes HBM a must-have component for the data centers training and running large AI models. The company’s Device Solutions division, which houses its chip business, is anticipated to post operating margins for chips in the range of 72-76%. Revenue consensus sits at around 199-202 trillion won. Some estimates point to more than 130% year-over-...