Samsung Electronics is projected to report its third consecutive quarterly record, driven by soaring demand for AI memory chips amid ongoing global shortages and price hikes, signalling a major shift in the semiconductor landscape.
Samsung Electronics is on course to report another record quarter, with analysts expecting second-quarter operating profit to leap about 18-fold from a year earlier as the global scramble for AI memory chips continues to squeeze supply and lift prices.
Reuters reported that the South Korean group is forecast to post operating profit of 86 trillion won for the April-to-June period, up from 4.7 trillion won a year earlier, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate based on 30 analyst forecasts. That would mark a third straight quarterly record for the world’s biggest memory chipmaker by sales.
The surge reflects a broader shortage across the memory market, driven increasingly by demand for AI inference infrastructure rather than only the training systems that powered the first wave of artificial intelligence investment. Analysts say that shift is supporting demand not just for high-bandwidth memory, but also for conventional DRAM and NAND, which are needed in larger quantities as AI systems become more complex and data-hungry.
Citi Research said average selling prices for DRAM and NAND rose sharply in the second quarter, climbing 44% and 53% respectively from the previous quarter. That has fuelled a powerful rerating across the sector this year, with Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron all soaring in market value as investors bet that the shortage will persist well into next year and, according to some industry warnings, potentially into 2027.
The Guardian reported earlier this year that Samsung had already delivered a record quarterly profit, helped by a 49-fold jump in chip income, while Bloomberg said the company’s semiconductor division posted a 48-fold increase as AI-related memory demand tightened margins and lifted earnings. Industry watchers have since argued that the current cycle is being reinforced by major cloud groups reserving supply far in advance, underscoring how central memory has become to AI infrastructure.
Still, the headline figure may not tell the whole story. Analysts warned that Samsung’s reported earnings could come in below consensus if the company books a larger-than-expected provision for employee bonuses. In late May, Samsung avoided a strike by agreeing to allocate 10.5% of semiconductor operating profit to special bonuses for chip staff, and some estimates put the cumulative accounting hit at more than 40 trillion won.
The other concern is whether the AI spending boom can keep pace. JPMorgan has said memory’s share of cloud providers’ capital expenditure is rising rapidly, and that any slowing in infrastructure investment would be the main risk to the current rally. Samsung and SK Hynix have both set out vast domestic investment plans, but analysts remain cautious about how long AI demand can absorb such aggressive capacity expansion.
For Samsung’s wider business, the memory boom is also creating strain. Rising chip prices are feeding through to higher costs in consumer devices, including smartphones, where margin pressure is building despite recent price increases. Nomura expects DRAM and NAND prices to climb further in the third quarter, suggesting that another round of device price rises may not be far away if the cost squeeze continues.
- https://investinglive.com/stocks/samsung-set-for-18-fold-profit-jump-as-ai-memory-demand-surges-20260705/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/30/samsung-quarterly-report-ai – Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit, driven by a 49-fold increase in chip income. The surge is attributed to the global AI boom, which has intensified the demand for memory chips, leading to a severe supply shortage expected to continue into 2027. The company anticipates that the AI-driven demand will keep memory prices elevated, benefiting its semiconductor division.
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026/04/29/samsung-s-chip-profit-soars-48-fold-on-ai-fueled-memory-shortage?srnd=phx-alternative-investments – Samsung Electronics Co.’s semiconductor division experienced a 48-fold profit increase, surpassing expectations. This remarkable growth is attributed to the surge in AI-related memory chip demand, which has led to higher margins. The substantial spending by major tech companies on AI infrastructure is expected to sustain this trend, positioning Samsung to benefit from the ongoing AI boom.
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/samsung-and-sk-hynix-warn-ai-driven-memory-shortages-could-last-until-2027-and-beyond-as-hbm-demand-explodes – Samsung and SK hynix have issued strong warnings about ongoing memory shortages, anticipating that limited supply—particularly of high-bandwidth memory (HBM)—could persist until at least 2027 due to surging demand from the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. Major customers are already reserving memory supply years in advance, highlighting the critical role of these components in AI infrastructure.
- https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsungs-profit-could-cross-usd-217-billion-fy-2026/ – Samsung Electronics is projected to achieve its highest-ever profit in 2026, potentially surpassing $217 billion. This anticipated growth is largely driven by the booming AI sector, which has significantly increased demand for memory chips. The company’s executives are optimistic about achieving record-high profits in both the second quarter and the full year, reflecting the ongoing strength of the semiconductor market.
- https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/samsungs-ai-chip-profits-just-tripled-and-heres-why-your-next-phone-may-cost-more-because-it – Samsung’s fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 financial results revealed a significant boost in profits, driven by soaring demand and prices for memory chips used in AI technologies. The company reported KRW 20.1 trillion (approx. $14 billion) in profit on KRW 93.8 trillion ($66 billion) in revenue, nearly tripling profits compared to the previous year. This surge is largely due to high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and other memory chips for AI servers, which require more wafer space, thereby limiting supply for consumer RAM and inflating prices.
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/30/samsung-quarterly-report-ai – Samsung Electronics reported a record quarterly profit, driven by a 49-fold increase in chip income. The surge is attributed to the global AI boom, which has intensified the demand for memory chips, leading to a severe supply shortage expected to continue into 2027. The company anticipates that the AI-driven demand will keep memory prices elevated, benefiting its semiconductor division.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article reports on Samsung’s expected Q2 2026 operating profit, citing analyst forecasts and recent developments. Similar information has been reported by reputable sources such as Reuters and The Guardian. ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/30/samsung-quarterly-report-ai?utm_source=openai)) The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is April 30, 2026. The article includes updated data but recycles older material, which raises concerns about freshness.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes attributed to Reuters and The Guardian. However, the exact wording of these quotes cannot be independently verified, as the original articles are behind paywalls. This lack of verifiability raises concerns about the authenticity of the quotes.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The article cites reputable sources such as Reuters and The Guardian. However, the original articles are behind paywalls, limiting access to the full content. Additionally, the article appears to be summarizing or aggregating content from these sources, which may affect its originality.
Plausibility check
Score:
8
Notes:
The claims about Samsung’s expected operating profit surge due to AI memory demand are plausible and align with industry trends. However, the article lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which raises concerns about the comprehensiveness of the information.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article relies heavily on paywalled sources, limiting access to the full original content and raising concerns about the completeness and accuracy of the information. The inability to independently verify quotes and the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets further diminish the article’s reliability.