SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics will release their third-quarter 2026 earnings this week, with SK Hynix scheduled to report on Wednesday and Samsung on Thursday, according to Star Market Daily as cited by ChainCatcher.
Profit expectations rise on AI and memory pricing
The report said both companies are expected to post strong results as demand for AI chips increases and memory chip prices move higher. Combined operating profit for the quarter is projected at KRW 184.4 trillion, or about $139.1 billion.
Samsung Electronics said in its preliminary earnings release on Oct. 8 that third-quarter revenue rose 127% year over year to KRW 195 trillion. Operating profit came in at KRW 107.4 trillion, or about $80.17 billion, versus KRW 12.17 trillion in the same period last year, nearly an eightfold increase by the report’s measure.
Analysts surveyed by FnGuide expect SK Hynix to report KRW 98.2 trillion in third-quarter revenue and KRW 77 trillion in operating profit.
For comparison, Samsung and SK Hynix posted operating profit of KRW 43.6 trillion and KRW 47.2 trillion, respectively, in 2025, for a combined KRW 90.8 trillion. If current forecasts are met, Samsung would become the first South Korean company to record quarterly operating profit above KRW 100 trillion.
Attention shifts beyond earnings
As of the Oct. 23 close, Samsung shares were down 36% from the end of June, while SK Hynix had fallen 52% over the same period. The report said investors have largely treated strong earnings as expected and are now focused on HBM4 supply, long-term agreements, and shareholder returns.
TrendForce forecasts that the average selling price of HBM next year will rise 121% from this year. It also said Samsung and SK Hynix have already sold out their output for next year.
Contracts and capital return plans in focus
In second-quarter earnings disclosures, Samsung said it had signed long-term agreements with five data center customers. SK Hynix said it had secured multi-year contracts with more than 10 customers.
On shareholder returns, Samsung this year announced a KRW 90 trillion to KRW 110 trillion shareholder return plan and is set to finalize about KRW 30 trillion in third-quarter cash dividends by the end of this month. SK Hynix announced a KRW 40 trillion buyback plan in August and halted its review of a potential Solidigm listing.
Brokerage view
Kim Dong-won, a KB Securities executive, said that despite the sharp pullback in both stocks, earnings expectations have been revised upward. He said the key catalyst for a re-rating will likely be whether profit growth can be sustained and whether shareholder returns can be increased further.