Samsung Electronics shares dropped 4.13% to 232,000 won on Thursday, even as its third-quarter operating profit surged almost nine-fold to a record 107.44 trillion won. Analysts blamed a payo
Samsung Electronics shares dropped 4.13% to 232,000 won on Thursday, even as its third-quarter operating profit surged almost nine-fold to a record 107.44 trillion won.
Analysts blamed a payout plan delayed until January and a shortage forecast ending two years earlier than rival SK Hynix’s.
The stock climbed early, then reversed to fall as much as 6.2% in morning trade. SK Hynix rose 0.7% in morning trade.
Samsung Electronics intraday chart for October 29, 2026, closing at 232,000 won, via Yahoo Finance.
Samsung’s operating profit for July-September was 107.44 trillion won, up 783.1% from 12.2 trillion won a year earlier. Revenue reached a record 195.25 trillion won, up 126.9%.
Samsung says it’s the first tech company in the world to exceed 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit.
Samsung’s results reveal that its Device Solutions chip division accounted for 106.5 trillion won of that on 147.1 trillion won in revenue. Analysts expected 107.3 trillion won from chips, according to LSEG.
The board sanctioned a third-quarter dividend of 4,601 won per common and preferred share, more than 12 times the ~370 won paid in each of the first two quarters. The total payout, due Nov. 27, is 30 trillion won, or about $22.5 billion.
Samsung expects shareholder returns of 90-110 trillion won for 2026. With 35 trillion won planned or completed, there remains 55 to 75 trillion won.
The remainder will include a considerable share repurchase and cancellation program and cash dividends. The board will convene in late January 2027 to decide on the final amounts and implementation plans.
The company said it was in detailed discussions on a new shareholder return policy for 2027 onward that would deliver sustainable expansion and improved shareholder value. The 110 trillion won ceiling, set in August, is based on a policy to return 50% of free cash flow from 2024 to 2026.
Samsung also said it would consider repurchasing more preferred shares, citing the price gap with common stock. It announced a 2.5 trillion won buyback in January to pay employees and executives.
SK Hynix set the bar high Wednesday. Cryptopolitan reported that SK Hynix’s HBM and DRAM sales are sold out until 2029, and the company expects demand to outstrip supply for memory products through 2030.
Samsung says the market will remain tight through 2028, given the time it takes to construct new fabs. Samsung said that, as of 2027, AI demand will be far greater than industry supply, more so than in 2026.
Samsung said the supply of HBM for next year is already sold out at target prices and major customers are still asking for more.
HBM4 revenue more than tripled sequentially and now constitutes about 60% of HBM sales. Samsung has locked in long-term supply contracts with 10 major customers, with 10 more in negotiation, aiming for such deals to account for 60% to 70% of capacity by 2030.
Device eXperience (DX) division recorded an operating loss of 800 billion won on sales of 52.1 trillion won, affected by higher memory prices. Mobile and networks lost 600 billion won.
The capital investment for the chip division this year has been set at 76.8 trillion won, out of 84.4 trillion won for the entire company. In the third quarter, capex alone hit 29 trillion won.
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