Overview
- Samsung, which reported unaudited first‑quarter results Tuesday, posted operating profit of 57.2 trillion won, up 755% year over year on revenue of 133 trillion won.
- Analysts say the surge came mostly from storage chips, with estimates that memory contributed the vast majority of the profit increase.
- Counterpoint estimates Samsung’s memory business generated $50.4 billion in Q1 revenue, or 55.5% of the total, with DRAM at $37.0 billion and NAND at $12.4 billion, both at record highs.
- TrendForce reports sharp price gains, with consumer DRAM up 75% to 80% in Q1 and a further 45% to 50% rise expected in Q2, while HBM unit prices jumped to about $120 to $150 from roughly $30 early last year and server DRAM contracts nearly doubled.
- Short‑term spot moves look softer, as DDR4 1Gx8 3200MT/s slipped 1.18% week over week and some NAND sellers cut prices to raise cash, even as Samsung advances HBM4, showcases HBM4E, and secures new supply deals.