How Samsung could make $73 billion in operating profit next year

Samsung faced a challenging business environment over the past few years. Memory demand was in a slump and prices were down. Its foundry division wasn't getting any major orders, and at one point, was losing billions of dollars due to unused capacity. Competition in the mobile segment was keeping profits in check.

Things have started looking up over the past few quarters, and it appears that Samsung could make a decent chunk of money in 2026. The latest analysts projections suggest that Samsung's operating profit could hit $73 billion next year.

Some analysts had previously projected that Samsung's annual operating profit for 2026 could be between $62-69 billion. These projections have now been revised up to $73 billion.

The industry is staring a memory super cycle in the face and Samsung is a great position to capitalize on this opportunity. Reports have suggested that Samsung has already significantly hiked up prices of its DRAM and NAND memory products. It's also seeing greater interest in its high-bandwidth memory products from AI chipmakers.

Samsung's foundry division is also picking up orders from large customers. Tesla and Apple have already confirmed they'll get chips made from Samsung. Intel and AMD are also reportedly close to signing deals with the company as well, in what could contribute billions more to its bottom line.

All this, coupled with the sustained momentum for its mobile and consumer electronics business, may make 2026 a very good year for Samsung.