Samsung Electronics just told the world it expects operating profit to jump roughly 18-fold. Stocks yawned and drifted lower anyway.
Asian equities slipped in early July 2026 despite what should have been a catalyst for optimism: Samsung’s forecast of approximately 86 trillion won in operating profit, driven by insatiable demand for AI-related memory chips. Meanwhile, the Japanese yen continued its slow-motion collapse, trading near 161.5 to 162 yen per dollar, levels the currency hasn’t touched since 1986.
Samsung’s AI boom meets market apathy
An 18-fold increase in operating profit is not a number you see every day. Samsung’s semiconductor division has been riding a wave of demand from data center operators scrambling to build out AI infrastructure, and the numbers reflect it.
In Q1 2026, the company guided for an eightfold year-over-year increase in operating profit, powered by pricing strength in AI chips. The latest projection more than doubles that trajectory.
