Samsung is expecting very high profits in the first quarter of 2026. The main reason is the rising price of memory chips and strong demand for its new, fast memory – HBM4.

According to information via Chosun, Samsung is selling HBM4 at around $700 per unit, which is 20 to 30% higher than the older HBM3E model. The company started mass production of HBM4 on February 12. SK Hynix, another major Korean memory company, will also start making HBM4 soon and is expected to sell it at similar prices.

Last year, SK Hynix supplied HBM4 to NVIDIA at about $500 per unit, so prices have risen quickly in just six months. Samsung’s profits are not only from HBM4 but also from higher prices in general DRAM and NAND flash memory. Samsung is carefully managing how much HBM4 it produces, avoiding overproduction to keep profits high.

Source – Samsung Newsroom

With this strategy, Samsung’s operating profit for the first quarter could reach 32 trillion Korean won, breaking past records. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Samsung earned 20 trillion won. Global investment bank Morgan Stanley predicts Samsung could make 245.7 trillion won in operating profit for the whole year, a huge increase from last year.

Rising prices for HBM, DRAM, and NAND flash memory mean Samsung is likely to continue growing strongly. Its new HBM4 technology and smart production plans put it in a strong position in the global memory market.

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