Samsung and SK hynix near 185 trillion won Q3 profit on HBM4

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix prepared on Oct. 25, 2026, to release third-quarter results that analysts project will generate a combined operating profit exceeding 180 trillion won ($130 billion).

The projected sum represents a record quarterly return for the global memory sector. Surging contract prices for standard dynamic random-access memory and mass shipments of sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4) drove the financial expansion.

Samsung Electronics disclosed preliminary third-quarter consolidated revenue of 195.00 trillion won on Oct. 8, representing a 126.59% increase from a year earlier. Operating profit reached 107.40 trillion won, up 782.50% year-on-year, the company said in an exchange filing.

The operating result indicates strong yield recovery across high-density server products. Operating profit in the prior second quarter stood at 89.49 trillion won on revenue of 171.50 trillion won, marking a sequential quarterly profit expansion of 20.01%.

SK hynix is projected to generate third-quarter revenue of 96.66 trillion won and an operating profit of 75.97 trillion won. That estimate reflects a consensus survey of 10 domestic brokerages compiled by Yonhap Infomax.

The projected figure would push the operating margin of SK hynix above 75%. That performance follows consecutive record quarters fueled by early volume delivery of advanced stacked memory modules to artificial intelligence hyperscalers.

Both chipmakers are monetizing the initial hardware ramp for Nvidia's next-generation Vera Rubin accelerator architecture. Commercial HBM4 stacks offer double the data bandwidth of prior fifth-generation HBM3E modules while lowering power consumption by more than 40%, SK hynix said.

Nvidia remains the primary buyer determining allocation across the Korean peninsula. SK hynix captured roughly 50% of worldwide high-bandwidth memory revenue during the second quarter, while Samsung Electronics held 33% and Micron Technology supplied the remaining 18%.

Samsung Electronics accelerated its HBM4 output after resolving packaging bottlenecks that constrained its HBM3E shipments two years ago. The supplier said in July that HBM4 would comprise over 60% of its second-half HBM revenue.

Global cloud service providers face climbing hardware bills as standard dynamic random-access memory prices climb in tandem. Server memory contract rates rose 13% to 18% during the third quarter, tracking capacity reallocations toward specialized artificial intelligence stacks.

Samsung Electronics absorbed operating losses in its contract chipmaking foundry and mobile divisions during the period. The Device Solutions semiconductor unit generated virtually all corporate earnings, offsetting consumer electronics softness, industry data show.

Capital allocation plans form the second pillar of investor scrutiny this week. Samsung Electronics disclosed on Aug. 21 that its total shareholder return allocation for 2026 would reach between 90 trillion and 110 trillion won.

Samsung Electronics plans to authorize a regular third-quarter cash dividend alongside additional distributions totaling roughly 30 trillion won during its board meeting in late October. The remaining capital return pool stands at 60 trillion won.

SK hynix announced on Aug. 19 that it would acquire and cancel 40 trillion won of treasury shares over a three-month period. The supplier completed the repurchase of 24.07 million shares, representing approximately 3.3% of its outstanding equity.

The company committed in an exchange notice to return at least 50% of cumulative free cash flow generated between 2025 and 2027. Management said it would detail specific payout methods during the upcoming call.

SK hynix plans to report its finalized third-quarter financial results on Oct. 28. Samsung Electronics will hold its third-quarter earnings conference call on Oct. 29 at 10:00 a.m. Korean Standard Time, according to company notices.

SK hynix has not published its formal regulatory disclosure specifying the exact conference call webcast link and dial-in credentials on the Financial Supervisory Service electronic filing repository as of Oct. 25, despite confirmed investor schedules.

Samsung Electronics will submit its audited third-quarter financial statements to the Korea Exchange following board approval scheduled for Oct. 29. That filing will provide finalized divisional segment breakdowns for its semiconductor operations.