Sensational in Seoul: Samsung presents record accounts, but both the stock (-6,9%) and the Kospi (-5,45%) are nose-diving, weighed down by fears over artificial intelligence.
Samsung: Profit increases 19-fold in the second quarter.
Major South Korean companies, such as Samsung, release earnings forecasts before the release of detailed official results to provide guidance to investors.
Samsung's latest forecast, released overnight ahead of its full results due at the end of July, comes as demand for semiconductors continues to outstrip supply, driving up prices.
Well, according to preliminary results, Samsung Electronics' operating profit increased 19-fold in the second quarter of 2026, driven by booming global demand for semiconductors used in artificial intelligence (AI).
In detail, the operating profit expected for the April-June period is around 89.400 trillion won (51 billion euros), with an increase of 1.810,3% on an annual basis, the group said in a document filed with regulators. The estimate also exceeds forecasts market share rose 6,2% and set a new quarterly record, the third consecutive, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, which cites its own data analytics firm.
Well also the turnover, more than doubled at 171 trillion won, but the final figure is slightly lower than the estimates of 173,3 trillion won.
The strong results were driven primarily by extraordinary demand from the artificial intelligence sector, as the world's largest technology companies continued to invest billions in developing computing power.
Stocks plummet despite record earnings
Samsung's stratospheric achievement failed to impress investors, now accustomed to extraordinary growth rates from chip suppliers fueling the global artificial intelligence boom. And so the stock – whose value has more than doubled since the beginning of the year – collapsed on the Seoul Stock Exchange, dragging down the Kospi too which, after remaining suspended for over 20 minutes, is on track to close with a 4,9% drop. "This occurred in an environment in which investors had already factored in expectations of very high profit margins resulting from the historic expansion of AI infrastructure worldwide," he commented. Bloomberg.
“The numbers, while extraordinary in absolute terms, they are not much better than the market expected for a stock that is at the center of the hottest sector of the entire market,” Adam Crisafulli, founder of Vital Knowledge, told the US agency.
In Seoul, the other memory chip giant is also in sharp decline, Sy Hynix (-6%), which is preparing to land in the USA: The stock will make its Nasdaq debut on FridayThe final price for the New York listing is expected to be set on Thursday,
