[News] Samsung Says HBM Share Matches DRAM Standing as HBM4 Sales Triple; DS Margin Hits 72%, 10 LTA Clients Signed
Riding the AI memory boom, Samsung reported a nearly ninefold surge in 3Q26 operating profit to a record KRW 107.4 trillion ($80.04 billion), according to Reuters. Revenue climbed to KRW 195.3 trillion, exceeding its early-October preliminary estimate by KRW 300 billion, Seoul Economic Daily reports.
Notably, the semiconductor (DS) division spearheaded the gains, delivering KRW 147.1 trillion in sales and KRW 106.5 trillion in operating profit, translating into a 72.4% margin, according to Samsung’s earnings deck.
The results also marked a historic milestone. As previously reported by Yonhap News, Samsung has now posted record revenue and operating profit for four consecutive quarters since 4Q25, becoming the first South Korean company to surpass KRW 100 trillion in quarterly operating earnings—a feat unmatched even by global tech heavyweights such as Apple and NVIDIA.
LTAs Making Strides
Beyond the record earnings, Samsung is moving to lock in longer-term demand as the memory supply crunch shows little sign of easing. Echoing rival SK hynix, which warned a day earlier that shortages could persist through 2030, Samsung expects chip supply to tighten further in 2027, Reuters reports.
Against this backdrop, Samsung has finalized long-term memory supply agreements (LTAs) with 10 major customers and is negotiating with another 10, according to Aju Business Daily. With demand for long-term supply commitments spreading to hyperscalers and other sectors, the company reportedly sees its target of securing LTAs covering 60–70% of production capacity by 2030 increasingly within reach.
HBM4 Sales Triple in 3Q26; 2027 HBM Supply Effectively Sold Out
The tightening supply outlook is also evident in Samsung’s HBM business, where demand remains strong even as shipments accelerate. According to Chosun Biz, Samsung revealed during its October 29 earnings call that HBM4 revenue more than tripled QoQ in 3Q26, accounting for roughly 60% of total HBM sales.
Looking further ahead, Samsung said its planned 2027 HBM supply is effectively sold out, with customer negotiations concluded at its target pricing levels. Major clients, however, continue to request additional volumes, Chosun Biz reports.
Beyond securing future supply commitments, Samsung also claims to have achieved its goal of bringing its HBM market share in line with its standing in the broader DRAM market, Chosun Biz reports. For context, TrendForce ranked Samsung as the top DRAM supplier in 2Q26 with a 39.4% market share, well ahead of SK hynix at 24.9%.
Meanwhile, memory price gains continued to far outpace shipment growth. DRAM average selling prices (ASPs) climbed around 20% QoQ in 3Q26, while NAND gained a high-teens percentage, according to News 1, citing Kim Jae-june, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics’ Memory Business. Shipment growth was more modest, with DRAM volumes up by a low- to mid-single-digit percentage and NAND by a mid-single-digit percentage sequentially, the report adds.
Read more
- [News] NVIDIA Reportedly Pushes TSMC 3nm NVHBM Base Dies for Samsung, SK hynix, Micron, Uniting Foundry Rivals
- [News] Samsung Sees 3Q26 Operating Profit Soaring 783% to Record KRW 107.4 Trillion on HBM4, Memory Price Gains/a>
(Photo credit: Samsung)
