Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (OTC:SSNLF) posted record third-quarter operating profit late Wednesday, up nearly ninefold as AI-driven demand pushed memory chip prices higher, but it came in below analyst estimates. Shares fell nearly 6% in Seoul.

Q3 Profit and Revenue Rise

Operating profit for the third quarter came in at KRW 107.4 trillion ($80.52 billion), up about 783% from a year earlier and 20% from the second quarter. That was just below the KRW 107.66 trillion ($80.72 billion) LSEG estimate, CNBC cited.

It posted revenue of KRW 195.3 trillion ($146.43 billion), up 127% from a year ago and 14% from the prior quarter, and also slightly below the KRW 195.3 trillion ($146.39 billion) estimate.

Memory Results Show Supply Staying Tight

Looking ahead, Samsung expects memory demand growth in the fourth quarter to center on products for new CPU and GPU platforms.

For 2027, it said surging AI-driven demand is likely to tighten supply shortages further compared with 2026, and that it plans to build a stable sales base through long-term contracts.

That echoes rival SK Hynix Inc. (NASDAQ:SKHY), which has said supply is not keeping pace with market growth and expects demand to exceed supply through 2030.

Capital Spend to Accelerate

Samsung’s earnings presentation did not include a capital spending target, but the company said AI infrastructure capex should accelerate in 2027 as the AI ecosystem expands.

The S&P 500 futures were down 0.45% and the Nasdaq 100 futures fell 1.49%, while the Dow Jones futures were up 0.37%.

Samsung’s stock was down 6.20% at KRW 227,000 ($170.24), while the KOSPI was 2.54% lower at the time of writing.

Price Action: SK Hynix’s Nasdaq-listed ADRs closed 13.30% higher on Wednesday at $164.70, but fell 3.32% in extended trading. The Seoul-listed stock was up 1.61%.

Benzinga Edge rankings indicate SK Hynix’s ADRs has a Momentum score in 98th percentile and a Value score in the 61st percentile.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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