Samsung Q1 2026 Operating Profit Soars Eightfold to Record 57.2 Trillion Won on AI Memory Boom

Samsung Electronics on April 30, 2026 reported a blockbuster first quarter, with consolidated revenue of 133.9 trillion won (~$89.96 billion) and operating profit of 57.2 trillion won (~$41.8 billion), both all-time records and ahead of analyst consensus of 132.69 trillion won and 55.28 trillion won respectively, according to CNBC. Operating profit jumped roughly eightfold year-over-year, the steepest growth in the company's recent history, as record memory pricing flowed straight to the bottom line. The earnings beat sent Samsung's stock to a fresh multi-year high and reinforced the structural shift that began with the AI infrastructure buildout in 2024.

The Device Solutions (DS) chip division did almost all of the heavy lifting. The DS unit posted revenue of 81.7 trillion won and operating profit of 53.7 trillion won, accounting for more than 90% of group earnings, according to Wccftech's read of the official disclosure. Samsung said the Memory business set its highest-ever quarterly sales as customers bid up high-value-added AI products against constrained supply. Notably, management told analysts that conventional DRAM is currently delivering higher gross margins than HBM, because conventional DRAM contracts repricing quarterly while HBM is locked on annual contracts — an unusual dynamic that captures just how tight the broader DRAM market has become.

The print also reframes the competitive picture among the three big memory makers. SK Hynix posted record results last week with a 72% operating margin on $52.6 trillion won of revenue, but Samsung's absolute profit number is now in the same league, after years of trailing its smaller rival on AI memory. With Samsung still racing to qualify HBM4 with NVIDIA and AMD, the Q1 disclosure pulls forward the question of whether Samsung can convert its DRAM-driven profit windfall into capex that closes the HBM gap before HBM3E pricing rolls over. Investors will get the next read at Samsung's annual analyst day later in May.