Samsung Electronics said a boom in its memory business drove record quarterly results in the fourth quarter of 2025, with consolidated revenue of 93.8 trillion won and operating profit of 20.1 trillion won. It said the quarter marked the first time a South Korean company has posted more than 20 trillion won in operating profit in a single quarter.
In an earnings filing on Wednesday, Samsung reported fourth-quarter consolidated revenue of 93.8374 trillion won and operating profit of 20.0737 trillion won. Revenue rose 23.82% from a year earlier, while operating profit jumped 209.17%.
The core DS (Device Solutions) division posted quarterly revenue of 44 trillion won and operating profit of 16.4 trillion won, up 46.2% and 465%, respectively, from a year earlier. Samsung cited expanded sales of high-value memory such as high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, and rising memory prices, which it said delivered record quarterly revenue and operating profit for the division.
Samsung said it responded to stronger demand for commodity DRAM and ramped up HBM supply, boosting profitability. Sales volumes also rose for higher-value products including server DDR5 and enterprise SSDs.
System LSI results fell from the previous quarter due to seasonal demand shifts, but image sensor sales increased for new 200-megapixel and “big pixel” 50-megapixel products. Foundry revenue rose as Samsung moved to full-scale mass production of first-generation 2-nanometer products and saw strong demand from customers in the United States and China, though profitability gains were limited by provisions-related costs.
The DX (Device eXperience) division reported revenue of 44.3 trillion won and operating profit of 1.3 trillion won. Revenue fell 8% from the previous quarter as the impact of new smartphone launches faded and competition intensified, but companywide results improved as DS revenue rose 33% from the prior quarter.
Harman, the automotive electronics unit, posted revenue of 4.6 trillion won and operating profit of 300 billion won. Samsung Display reported revenue of 9.5 trillion won and operating profit of 2 trillion won, maintaining solid performance.
Samsung said it continued heavy investment to strengthen future competitiveness. Research and development spending totaled 10.9 trillion won in the fourth quarter, and reached a record 37.7 trillion won for full-year 2025.
Facility investment was 20.4 trillion won in the quarter, including 19 trillion won for DS and 700 billion won for displays. Full-year 2025 facility investment totaled 52.7 trillion won, including 47.5 trillion won for DS and 2.8 trillion won for displays. Samsung said DS will focus spending on shifting to advanced processes and upgrading existing lines to meet demand for high-value products, while the display business will invest in upgrades and performance improvements to existing lines.
Looking ahead, Samsung said it expects heightened geopolitical uncertainty, including global tariffs, even as demand remains strong for next-generation semiconductors. Despite ongoing trade risks, it said the DS division will seek leadership in the AI semiconductor market by leveraging its “one-stop solution” capabilities spanning logic, memory, foundry and packaging.
In DS, Samsung said it will expand supply of high-performance products as the HBM4 market ramps up and server DRAM moves toward higher capacities. In NAND, it plans to increase sales of high-performance TLC-based SSDs to meet rising demand for AI-focused KV SSDs.
The foundry business aims for double-digit revenue growth and improved profit and loss centered on advanced processes, and plans in the second half to strengthen technology competitiveness through mass production of second-generation 2-nanometer products and optimization of its 4-nanometer process.
The DX division said it will strengthen core competitiveness by diversifying its supply chain and optimizing operations, while expanding its AI-enabled flagship lineup and offering more integrated AI experiences. Harman said it will work to improve profitability by expanding automotive order wins and increasing sales of premium audio products. The display business said it will maintain leadership in small and mid-sized panels for smartphones and expand sales of large panels focused on premium TVs and monitors.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.