Urgent.News

What's breaking now, across thousands of outlets.

Finance & Markets

AI chip boom pushes Samsung profits to record $80bn

OCT 8 – Samsung Electronics says it expects a nine-fold surge in its quarterly profits compared with a year earlier, driven by surging demand for memory chips used in artificial…

Samsung Electronics anticipates a nine-fold increase in its quarterly profits compared to the previous year, fueled by a surge in demand for memory chips utilized in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The company projects that its operating profit for the quarter ending September 30 will surge to 107.4tn won, amounting to $80 billion, marking its fourth consecutive record earnings quarter.

As one of the world's leading memory chip producers, alongside SK Hynix and US-based Micron, Samsung supplies critical components for AI giants such as Nvidia. Additionally, Samsung benefits from its latest folding smartphones, which were introduced in August, anticipated to further bolster its earnings.

Full third-quarter earnings from Samsung are scheduled for release at the end of October. Major South Korean businesses typically provide previews of their earnings to inform investors before presenting more comprehensive reports.

The global market for computer chips powering AI development has experienced unprecedented demand, contributing significantly to the earnings and stock prices of companies involved in the sector. This surge in demand has led to a global semiconductor shortage, thereby elevating sales for entities like Samsung, which saw its market valuation surpass $1 trillion earlier this year.

Investments in the industry have surged, with notable US tech firms like Google, Amazon, and Meta committing over $650 billion to AI initiatives this year. In June, South Korea announced plans for at least $880 billion in projects, spearheaded by Samsung and SK Hynix, aimed at expanding the country's chip manufacturing capabilities in the years ahead.

Rival Asian companies in Japan, China, and Taiwan are also heavily investing in chip plants, given the escalating demand for AI technologies. The semiconductor shortage, driven by soaring demand, has prompted firms including Samsung to increase prices, consequently making products such as smartphones and computers more expensive.

Written by urgent.news from Capital Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

This story

This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.

Read the original at capitalfm.africa →

More in Finance & Markets

More from Thursday 8 October →