Samsung Electronics reported preliminary operating profit of 107.4 trillion won for the third quarter of 2026, crossing 100 trillion won in a quarter for the first time. Revenue reached 195 trillion won, according to reports citing the companyโs Oct. 8 disclosure. The reported operating margin was 55.1 percent, with profit up 20.01 percent from the previous quarter and 782.50 percent from a year earlier.
The result was described as the fourth consecutive quarter in which both revenue and operating profit reached records. One report said the quarterly profit exceeded that of Nvidia by 25 percent and placed Samsung among only a handful of companies to have recorded operating profit above 100 trillion won in a single quarter. Saudi oil producer Aramco was reported to have reached a comparable level in the second quarter of 2022.
Semiconductors were identified as the main source of the increase. Samsungโs Device Solutions division generated more than 97 percent of companywide operating profit during the first half of 2026, and its contribution may have risen further in the third quarter. Estimated quarter-on-quarter price increases of about 20 percent for both DRAM and NAND flash memory strengthened profitability as investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure supported demand.
A record built on semiconductor earnings
The concentration of earnings in memory also highlights an uneven performance across Samsungโs businesses. The Device Experience division, which includes smartphones, televisions and home appliances, reportedly struggled to rebound as higher semiconductor costs increased pressure on product margins. The preliminary figures therefore point less to broad-based improvement than to exceptional returns from the semiconductor cycle.
- Reported revenue
- 195 trillion won
- Reported operating margin
- 55.1 percent
- Primary earnings driver
- Memory semiconductor operations
Investors and industry observers will next watch Samsungโs final quarterly results for confirmed figures and detailed divisional performance. The durability of memory price gains, the semiconductor divisionโs share of total profit and the ability of consumer-product businesses to absorb higher component costs will determine whether the record quarter represents a sustainable earnings level or a peak driven by unusually favorable chip conditions.