Samsung Electronics shares fell 2% to ₩264,500 on Thursday even as the company forecast record preliminary third-quarter earnings. The decline followed a small shortfall against some analyst expectations and came amid several market events that had been expected to increase volatility.

Samsung forecast third-quarter 2026 operating profit of ₩107.4 trillion, up 782% from a year earlier. The figure would mark the first time any technology company has exceeded ₩100 trillion in operating profit during a single quarter.

However, some analyst estimates had placed operating profit between ₩108 trillion and ₩110 trillion. The difference was enough to trigger selling in what appeared to be a “sell the news” reaction — a pattern in which traders unload a stock once a long-anticipated event has passed, locking in gains regardless of the outcome. Revenue was projected at approximately ₩195 trillion, compared with ₩86.06 trillion a year earlier.

The growth was driven by demand for high-bandwidth memory chips, a premium memory class designed to move data to processors at very high speeds, which are used in artificial intelligence systems built by companies including Nvidia.

BREAKING: 🇰🇷 Samsung forecasts a +783% jump in Q3 operating profit. The company expects a record ₩107.4 trillion ($80.2B) in operating profit, becoming the first tech company ever to surpass ₩100 trillion ($74.7B) in quarterly profit. Revenue is projected at a record ₩195… — Bull Theory (@BullTheoryio) October 8, 2026

Foreign and institutional investors became net sellers early in Thursday’s session, pushing the stock toward its session lows. The broader KOSPI index, South Korea’s benchmark stock gauge, fell nearly 2%, while most other chip and AI-related stocks also traded lower.

October 8 had been identified as a potentially volatile date for Samsung shares before the earnings announcement. The preliminary results coincided with semiconductor exchangeaded fund rebalancing — in which index-tracking funds adjust their holdings — options expiry and the scheduled end of Samsung’s stock buyback program. The combination added pressure to the share price.

Record Growth Driven by AI Demand

Samsung’s profit growth has now extended to four consecutive quarters of records. Tight supply and strong spending on artificial intelligence have kept memory prices elevated.

AMD’s CEO visited Samsung’s Seoul headquarters one day before the earnings release. The companies discussed expanded collaboration on AI chips, including the supply of HBM4 for next-generation accelerators. The meeting provided a positive longer-term signal for Samsung’s chip business, although it did not prevent the stock from falling on Thursday.

Analysts Remain Bullish on Samsung

Josh Gilbert, an analyst at eToro, said Samsung had delivered a record profit but still fallen short of expectations, demonstrating how demanding the AI trade had become.

Gilbert also said memory buyers were signing multiyear supply agreements. In his view, those agreements provide Samsung with greater visibility into future demand and reduce concerns about the next downturn.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. trades under the ticker SMSD.L. The company currently has a Moderate Buy rating from Wall Street analysts. Its average price target is ₩440,000, implying 66% upside from current levels.

Samsung is scheduled to release its full third-quarter results on October 29. Preliminary announcements of this kind typically contain headline figures, with fuller segment detail reserved for the final report. Investors will be watching for additional details on memory pricing and demand for AI chips.

On Samsung’s daily chart, the stock closed at ₩262,000, down 2.42%, and moved back toward the lower edge of a rising wedge. The ₩246,500 level was identified as key support, while the all-time high near ₩374,500 remained the level to beat.

The relative strength index stood at 47.49, a neutral reading that indicated neither overbought nor oversold conditions. The moving average convergence divergence indicator had crossed below its signal line, pointing to weakening short-term momentum after a bullish run through the summer.

Source: CoinCentral