Samsung Posts Record 57.2 Trillion Won Q1 Profit as Memory Supercycle Fuels Equipment Demand

By NineScrolls Team · 2026-04-11 · 4 min read · Industry

A Record Quarter Driven by AI Memory

Samsung Electronics reported preliminary Q1 2026 operating profit of 57.2 trillion won (approximately $38 billion), a 755% surge from 6.69 trillion won in the year-ago quarter. Revenue hit 133 trillion won, up 68.1% year-over-year. The result marks the first time a Korean company has exceeded 50 trillion won in quarterly operating profit — and Samsung's Q1 alone surpassed the company's entire 2025 annual operating profit of 43.6 trillion won.

The semiconductor division accounted for roughly 95% of the total, with brokerages estimating chip division operating profit between 37 and 48 trillion won. The remaining ~5% came primarily from the smartphone division at approximately 4 trillion won. This concentration of earnings underscores just how completely AI-driven memory demand has reshaped Samsung's business.

DRAM Prices Surge 90–95%, and They're Still Climbing

The headline profit numbers reflect an extraordinary pricing environment. According to market tracker TrendForce, DRAM prices rose 90–95% quarter-over-quarter in Q1, with projections for an additional 60% increase in Q2. Some analysts forecast that DRAM prices could surge 250% for the full year 2026 compared to 2025. Memory chip prices broadly doubled during the quarter, with further 50% increases expected in Q2.

Meritz Securities characterized Samsung's approach as "aggressive and proactive pricing," noting that the memory cycle "is approaching the midpoint of a supercycle." Analyst Sohn In-joon of Heungkuk Securities expects Samsung to post a record-breaking 75 trillion won ($50 billion) in operating profit in Q2 2026 as the pricing tailwind continues.

HBM4 Mass Production Puts Samsung Back in the Race

Samsung has begun mass production of next-generation HBM4 chips and is expanding shipments of fifth-generation HBM3E to Nvidia, Google, and AMD. HBM4 chips are expected for Nvidia's upcoming Vera Rubin AI accelerator platform, positioning Samsung alongside SK Hynix and Micron in a three-way race for the most advanced AI memory.

The company also supplies SOCAMM2 memory modules and enterprise SSDs to hyperscale data centers. With major AI companies — including Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, and OpenAI — all competing for Samsung HBM capacity, the demand pipeline extends well into 2027. KB Securities raised its Samsung 2026 operating profit forecast to 327 trillion won and its 2027 estimate to 488 trillion won.

What a Memory Supercycle Means for Equipment Spending

Samsung's record quarter arrives against a backdrop of surging semiconductor equipment investment globally. SEMI reported on April 7 that worldwide equipment billings reached $135.1 billion in 2025, up 15% year-over-year, with Korea's spending increasing 26% to $25.8 billion driven by HBM and DRAM investment. SEMI projects 300mm fab equipment spending will climb another 18% to $133 billion in 2026.

Samsung's P4 fab in Pyeongtaek is nearing completion to expand 1c DRAM capacity, and the company's $44 billion Taylor, Texas plant upgrade is targeting 2nm foundry output in 2026. Each of these facilities requires billions of dollars in deposition, etch, and metrology equipment. With memory accounting for 95% of Samsung's profit, the company has both the motive and the cash flow to invest aggressively in capacity expansion — a direct tailwind for equipment suppliers.

What This Means for Plasma Processing and Thin Film Deposition

Samsung's memory supercycle translates directly into sustained demand for plasma processing and thin film deposition systems across multiple fronts. In DRAM manufacturing, each generation of smaller cells requires more precise atomic layer deposition (ALD) for capacitor dielectric films and thinner metal barriers, along with advanced plasma etch to pattern increasingly dense bitline and wordline structures. The 90–95% quarter-over-quarter price surge incentivizes Samsung to expand capacity as fast as equipment can be delivered.

For 3D NAND production, higher layer counts — now exceeding 300 layers — drive exponential demand for PECVD systems to deposit alternating oxide-nitride stacks, and for high-aspect-ratio plasma etch to cut channel holes through hundreds of thin film layers. Tokyo Electron has noted that thin film deposition's share of capital expenditure rose from 18% in the 2D era to 26% in the 3D era, and this figure continues to climb with each generation.

HBM manufacturing adds another layer of equipment demand. Producing HBM4 requires through-silicon via (TSV) etching, thin film deposition for bonding and redistribution layers, and plasma activation steps for hybrid bonding. The equipment supply chain — from plasma sources and sputtering targets to vacuum components, gas delivery systems, and process monitoring instruments — stands to benefit as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron all race to add HBM capacity. With Samsung's quarterly profit now approaching Nvidia-level territory, the capital available to pour into next-generation memory fabs has never been larger.