Samsung sees Q4 earnings at 3-year high
SEOUL ( Reuters) – Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. said yesterday its fourth- quarter profit likely leapt 50 percent from a year earlier to its highest level in more than three years, beating expectations on strong chip sales and a smartphone rebound.
The upbeat outlook comes despite a slight fall in revenue and the anticipated $2.1 billion profit hit from the withdrawal of the fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 premium smartphone in October.
The guidance points to a more rapid recovery for the mobile business than many analysts had anticipated after one of the biggest product safety failures in tech history, and reflects steady price increases for memory chips.
“Samsung posted solid earnings only with sales of older smartphone models like the S7 after the Note 7’s discontinuation,” said Kim Sung-soo, a fund manager at LS Asset Management.
“This makes me have hopes for the (Galaxy) S8. Should they fare well, I expect Samsung to report record earnings this year.”
The South Korean technology giant said October-December operating profit was likely 9.2 trillion won ($7.8 billion), the highest since the third quarter of 2013 and well above the 8.2 trillion won tipped by a Thomson
Reuters StarMine SmartEstimate from a survey of 21 analysts. The estimate was also higher than any individual forecast in the survey.
The South Korean won’s recent depreciation may have helped boost profits, some analysts said, as component sales are typically settled in US dollars. The local currency fell 8.8 percent against the dollar in the fourth quarter.
Investors pushed Samsung shares up 43 percent last year, betting the surge in demand for memory chips and organic light-emitting diode screens for smartphones will more than make up for the Note 7 setback and translate to strong earnings growth.