Samsung posts record $31.8 billion Q1 2026 profit as AI chip demand surges

Samsung had a bumper first quarter of 2026, according to figures released by the company. Revenue jumped 69% quarter-on-quarter to a record KRW 133.9 trillion ($90.4 billion). Operating profit also rose to a quarterly all-time high of KRW 57.2 trillion ($38.6 billion), more than 8 times the KRW 6.68 trillion recorded in the same period last year. Net profit stood at KRW 47.22 trillion ($31.8 billion), up from KRW 8.22 trillion in Q1 2025.

As stated by Samsung, "The record quarterly operating profit and sales were primarily driven by robust sales of high-margin AI chips and rising memory prices in the device solutions division.”

The company also recorded KRW 1.8 trillion in currency gains from converting US dollars into Korean won.

Samsung expects the rest of 2026 to be impressive. The company has started manufacturing 6th-gen high bandwidth memory (HBM4) in the first quarter, with expansion expected later in the year. HBM production capacity remains fully booked for the rest of the year, and Samsung is confident that global tech firms will continue their intensive investment run in the upcoming quarters.

Samsung plans to introduce HBM4E samples in Q2. However, it still has to deal with possible strike actions by more than 75,000 workers in the coming weeks. The employees want to share 15% of Samsung’s annual operating profit.