Overview
- Samsung, which issues preliminary results Tuesday, is projected to report about 40.5 trillion won in operating profit, roughly six times a year ago.
- Contract DRAM prices, the long‑term rates big buyers pay for working memory chips, doubled in Q1 and are forecast to rise another 58% to 63% in Q2, fueling the surge.
- The company is shifting major customers to three‑to‑five‑year contracts to lock in supply needs and reduce swings in orders.
- Short‑term DRAM spot prices have cooled in recent weeks, and Google's TurboQuant memory‑saving tech has added concern about how long demand can stay this strong.
- Most profit will come from memory as analysts expect the foundry to remain loss‑making and see smartphone and display earnings drop by about half, with the Middle East war raising energy costs and threatening key materials.