HBM Revenue Surges Threefold, Samsung Electronics' Quarterly Profit May Set New Record for Korean Companies

The global AI investment boom has driven a surge in high-bandwidth memory demand. Samsung Electronics' first-quarter HBM revenue increased by over three times year-on-year. Coupled with a significant rise in general DRAM prices, the company's single-quarter operating profit is expected to exceed 40 trillion South Korean won for the first time, setting a new historical record for Korean companies.

According to the Seoul Economic Daily, citing informed sources, Samsung Electronics' first-quarter HBM revenue grew by more than 300%, primarily driven by a substantial increase in supply to Nvidia. Samsung Electronics will officially announce its first-quarter results next week.

Meanwhile, the general DRAM market is also experiencing a supply shortage. Based on the DDR4 8Gb specification, current prices have risen by approximately 10 times compared to the first quarter of last year, and inventory orders for next year have already been sold out.

The market expects Samsung Electronics' first-quarter revenue to exceed 120 trillion South Korean won, with operating profit approaching or even surpassing the 40 trillion South Korean won mark.

Surge in HBM Supply, Nvidia Orders are the Core Driver

The direct cause of the significant jump in HBM revenue in the first quarter is the drastic expansion of supply to Nvidia. Since Samsung Electronics began supplying its fifth-generation product, HBM3E, to Nvidia in the second half of last year, related revenue has shown a vertical upward trend.

In February of this year, Samsung Electronics further announced that it was the first in the world to achieve mass production of its sixth-generation product, HBM4, which will be integrated into Nvidia's next-generation AI accelerator, "Vera Rubin."

This means Samsung Electronics has established a continuous layout from supply to iteration in its high-end HBM product line, helping to solidify its core position in the AI chip supply chain.

General DRAM Sees Simultaneous Increase in Volume and Price, Next Year's Orders Locked in Early

Beyond HBM, the general DRAM market is also showing a rare strong momentum. According to industry insiders, the current price for DDR4 8Gb specification products has increased by approximately 10 times compared to the first quarter of last year, and customer orders have extended into next year, with production capacity nearly fully sold out.

The dual increase in volume and price has built a solid foundation for Samsung Electronics' first-quarter results. The high-margin HBM combined with the surge in both volume and price for general DRAM has led to continuous upward revisions of external expectations for its single-quarter profitability.

Single-Quarter Operating Profit May Set a New Historical High for Korean Enterprises

Considering the aforementioned factors, market expectations for Samsung Electronics' first-quarter performance have significantly warmed up. One industry insider stated, "Samsung's first-quarter operating profit is expected to be around 40 trillion South Korean won."

If this forecast is realized, a single-quarter operating profit of 40 trillion South Korean won would set the highest record ever for a Korean company, and a revenue scale of 120 trillion South Korean won would also break Samsung Electronics' own quarterly record.

Samsung Electronics will officially disclose its first-quarter financial data next week, which will then provide the final verification of the aforementioned expectations.