Samsung’s 14% Rally to $1.03T Valuation Raises AI Chip Rivalry
Samsung Electronics jumped 14% to a $1.03 trillion valuation, marking it as only the second Asian firm above $1 trillion. Its semiconductor arm posted record Q1 revenue of 133.9 trillion won and operating profit of 57.2 trillion won, intensifying AI memory competition with Taiwan Semiconductor.
1. Valuation Milestone
Samsung Electronics shares soared 14% in Seoul trading to lift its market capitalization to roughly 1,500 trillion won, equivalent to about $1.03 trillion. This jump made Samsung the second Asian company to surpass the $1 trillion threshold after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.
2. Record Semiconductor Earnings
The semiconductor division reported record first-quarter revenue of 133.9 trillion won and operating profit of 57.2 trillion won, more than eight times higher than the year-ago period. Those profits alone exceeded Samsung’s total earnings across all business lines for the entirety of 2025.
3. Intensified Competition with Taiwan Semiconductor
Analysts cite ongoing DRAM and NAND shortages and multi-year capacity build timelines as key drivers of surging valuations. Samsung’s mass production of HBM4 and talks with Apple on US-based processor fabrication further escalate rivalry for Taiwan Semiconductor in AI data center memory.