Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are projected to report combined third-quarter operating profit of about 190 trillion won, or approximately $139.71 billion, setting new quarterly records as artificial intelligence data-center investment drives memory demand amid supply shortages. Wise Report estimated Samsung Electronics’ operating profit at 111.38 trillion won, up 815.47% year on year, with revenue rising 137.93% to 204.76 trillion won. SK hynix is forecast to post 99.54 trillion won in revenue and 78.13 trillion won in operating profit, increases of 307.13% and 586.34%, respectively. TrendForce expects general-purpose DRAM prices to rise by as much as 18% quarter on quarter in the third quarter, while NAND flash prices could increase by up to 15%. Samsung Electronics Executive Vice President Kim Taewoo said HBM, a vertically stacked memory technology used in AI computing, could account for nearly 30% of DRAM chipmakers’ total wafer capacity next year, up from about 20% currently, because HBM and standard DRAM use the same wafer capacity. Analysts expect tight supply-demand conditions to continue through 2027 to 2028 as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix prioritize HBM4 production, with the commercial ramp-up of HBM4 and HBM4E remaining important to future earnings and pricing power.