Samsung Forecasts Record Q3 Profit on AI Chip Demand; Korea Current Account Surplus Hits $46.1 Billion

The South Korean technology giant also estimated third-quarter revenue at 195 trillion won, up 126.6 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to its earnings guidance. CNBC described the revenue increase as nearly 127 percent. Net profit was not included. Yonhap Infomax said the operating profit estimate exceeded the average market forecast by 1.6 percent. If confirmed, Samsung would have posted record quarterly revenue and operating profit for the fourth consecutive quarter since the final three months of 2025, and it would be the first South Korean company to report quarterly operating profit above 100 trillion won.

Samsung did not provide a division-by-division breakdown. Its device solutions unit, which includes semiconductors, is believed to have accounted for a dominant share. The company has benefited from global AI infrastructure investment, which has intensified semiconductor supply shortages and kept memory chip prices elevated. It has also begun mass production and shipments of sixth-generation high bandwidth memory (HBM4) chips, the first in the industry to do so, and expects HBM4 to contribute meaningfully to earnings next year. Industry observers expect Samsung's operating profit next year to reach around 550 trillion won. The device experience unit, which oversees consumer electronics and mobile businesses, is expected to have posted relatively weak results. In September, Samsung announced a strategic partnership with French AI startup Mistral AI, planning to deploy its models across semiconductor operations. The company is scheduled to release full third-quarter earnings later this month.

Separately, South Korea's current account surplus totaled US$46.1 billion in August, the second-highest on record, the Bank of Korea said Thursday, as exports remained strong during the global semiconductor upcycle. The surplus rose US$4 billion from a month earlier and was US$36.2 billion larger than in August 2025. It was second only to the US$49.73 billion recorded in June this year and stayed above US$40 billion for a third straight month, after US$42 billion in July. For January-August, the surplus reached US$279.2 billion, nearly quadrupling from a year earlier.

The goods account posted a surplus of US$46.81 billion in August as exports jumped 82.1 percent year-on-year to US$104.8 billion, while imports rose 23.8 percent to US$57.99 billion. On a customs-clearance basis, chip exports more than tripled, and petroleum product exports gained 64.9 percent. Car exports fell 30.1 percent and ship exports dropped 45.2 percent. The services account recorded a deficit of US$1.68 billion, mainly due to deficits in other business services and travel; the travel deficit widened to US$770 million from US$340 million in July. The primary income account, covering wages of foreign workers and dividend and interest income from abroad, logged a US$1.92 billion surplus. South Korea has posted a current account surplus every month since May 2023, making August the 40th consecutive month in the black. In 2025, the country recorded its largest annual surplus at US$123.05 billion, exceeding the previous high of US$105.1 billion set in 2015.