Samsung sees robust AI demand and tight chip supply after posting over 250-fold rise in chip profit
SOXX•Mobile division swings to loss
However, those surging chip prices hurt Samsung's mobile division, which reported a 700 billion won loss, its first quarter in the red.
"In H2 2026, the Memory Business expects robust demand centered on servers stemming from continued AI infrastructure capex and broader adoption of agentic AI," Samsung said in a statement.
"This is projected to keep the market undersupplied, despite partial demand moderation in mobile and PCs."
SK Hynix also reports strong results
Samsung's cross-town rival SK Hynix 000660.KS on Wednesday reported bumper quarterly results but fell short of lofty investor expectations. It flagged plans to raise capital spending this year by around 50% to meet surging AI demand.
AI chip demand stays strong, supply remains tight
SEOUL, July 30 (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics 005930.KS expects AI chip demand to stay strong and supply to remain short this year, it said on Thursday, after posting a more than 250-fold rise in semiconductor profit in the second quarter.
That follows a sharp slide in recent months, as chip stocks have lost momentum amid investor concerns about funding for the AI infrastructure buildout and competition from China that could put chip earnings under pressure.
Semiconductor profit surges on memory chip prices
Samsung's semiconductor division posted an operating profit of 89.2 trillion won in the second quarter, up over 250-fold from a year earlier.
The world's top memory chipmaker reported operating profit of 89.5 trillion won ($61.98 billion) for the April-to-June period, in line with its estimate of 89.4 trillion won and up from 4.68 trillion won a year earlier.
