Samsung net profit surges fivefold in A1 2026 on AI-driven demand

SEOUL: Samsung Electronics Co. said Thursday its first-quarter net profit surged more than fivefold from a year earlier, driven by robust demand for high-end memory chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

According to Yonhap News Agency, net profit for the three months ended March jumped to 47.22 trillion won (US$31.8 billion) from 8.22 trillion won a year earlier, the company said in a press release.

Operating profit jumped more than eightfold to 57.23 trillion won from 6.68 trillion won over the same period, while sales climbed 69.2 % to 133.87 trillion won from 79.14 trillion won.

"The record quarterly operating profit and sales were primarily driven by robust sales of high-margin AI chips and rising memory prices in the device solutions division," the company said.