Samsung's Profit Triples on AI Memory Boom, Hits Record High

• Samsung Electronics' quarterly operating profit more than tripled to 20 trillion won ($13.8 billion), a record high, driven by surging demand for AI servers.
• Revenue also hit a record 93 trillion won, up 28%, beating analyst estimates despite a slight dip in pre-market shares.
• Memory makers are shifting production to high-end AI chips, causing shortages and price surges for standard DRAM and NAND.
• DRAM prices jumped over 30% and NAND prices rose about 20% in the December quarter, with strong prices expected through 2026-2027.
• Samsung is closing the HBM gap with rivals, delivering HBM4 samples to Nvidia and aiming for mass production in H1 2024 for Nvidia's Rubin processors.

Why It Matters: Samsung's record profit highlights the immense impact of AI demand on the global memory chip market.