Samsung guides for record quarterly profit as won firms; HYBE takes Weverse Con to India
Samsung Electronics guided for record third-quarter profit, becoming the first Korean company to top 100 trillion won in quarterly operating profit, though investors were unmoved. The Korean won rose against the dollar, HYBE took its Weverse Con festival overseas for the first time with an India debut, and a Busan film festival entry split audiences.
Markets & chips
Korean markets & the won
Samsung's preliminary third-quarter figures, released under Korean disclosure rules that bar earnings ranges, landed alongside a firmer won.
Samsung Electronics
Samsung's guidance put its operating profit above 100 trillion won for the quarter, a first for a Korean company, but the scale of the memory-driven result did not translate into investor enthusiasm.
Samsung Electronics announced third-quarter 2026 earnings guidance of approximately 195 trillion Korean won in consolidated sales and approximately 107.40 trillion Korean won in consolidated operating profit, based on K-IFRS.
Samsung Electronics became the first Korean company to exceed $80 billion in quarterly operating profit.
Samsung's record profits drew a muted response from investors.
Samsung's memory business boom is pressuring profitability in its Galaxy unit.
Samsung Electronics plans to pay a special bonus to its chip division in spring 2027.
SK hynix
Questions have resurfaced over a possible initial public offering of SK hynix's Solidigm unit.
Samsung and SK hynix face a test with investors as their share buyback programs wind down.
Korean chipmakers
The Nuri launch is driving semiconductor space testing activity.
Business of culture
HYBE
HYBE is taking its flagship Weverse Con festival overseas for the first time, with an India debut.
K-drama, film, webtoons & streaming
A controversy over 'The Assassin(s)' divided viewers at the Busan film festival.