BlockBeats report: On July 7, global semiconductor giant Samsung Electronics released its strong preliminary second-quarter financial results. The data shows that, driven strongly by the artificial intelligence (AI) wave, the world’s largest memory chip manufacturer is entering its most profitable period ever.
According to its financial report, Samsung's operating profit in the second quarter surged 1,810.2% year-over-year to KRW 89.4 trillion (approximately $58 billion). This figure not only far exceeded the market expectation of KRW 84.2 trillion but also remarkably surpassed the company's total profit for the entire three-year period from 2023 to 2025. Meanwhile, the company's revenue increased 129% year-over-year to KRW 171 trillion.
After Samsung Electronics released its earnings preview, SanDisk (SNDK.O) and Micron Technology (MU.O) declined in after-hours trading.
Samsung's surge in performance is directly fueled by the near-insatiable demand from AI data centers for high-performance memory chips. Industry giants such as NVIDIA and OpenAI have publicly stated multiple times that memory chip shortages have become a core bottleneck in current AI development.
As major manufacturers prioritize production capacity for higher-margin, AI-optimized high-bandwidth memory (HBM), the supply of conventional memory required for smartphones, personal computers, and enterprise servers has been squeezed. This "capacity congestion" effect has led to a severe shortage in the global memory market. According to HSBC data, the average DRAM price in the second quarter of 2026 rose over 40% quarter-over-quarter, while NAND prices increased by more than 50%; Citigroup Research provided even higher estimates at 44% and 53%, respectively.
Analysts generally believe this seller’s market dynamic will persist at least until 2027, granting Samsung and its long-time rivals SK Hynix and Micron Technology significant pricing power.
Samsung Electronics plans to release its official financial report on July 30, at which time it will provide detailed operational insights for each business segment.