Samsung Electronics Co. signaled a recovery in the global memory-chip market, reporting that its fourth-quarter operating profit more than doubled from a year earlier.
The world’s largest memory chipmaker said profit reached 6.5 trillion won ($5 billion) in the three months ended December, up from 2.82 trillion won a year ago. Sales climbed to approximately 75 trillion won ($57.7 billion), marking an 11% increase from the previous year.
Despite the improvement, Samsung’s results showed some weakness compared to the third quarter, when it posted an operating profit of 9.18 trillion won. The sequential decline suggests the chip industry’s rebound may be uneven.
The preliminary results, which didn’t provide a breakdown by division, reflect stabilizing memory-chip prices as data center operators increase orders for artificial intelligence applications. Industry analysts noted that Samsung’s device solutions division, which includes semiconductors, likely drove the profit growth.
Samsung’s guidance comes as the broader chip industry shows signs of emerging from a prolonged slump that forced manufacturers to cut production and slash investment. Memory chip prices started recovering in late 2023 as inventory levels normalized and demand from AI servers increased.
