Samsung flags 20% profit jump in Q3, but chip price falls cast shadow

Seoul

SAMSUNG Electronics Co Ltd estimated that third-quarter operating profit jumped by a fifth to a record high, with its semiconductor unit bolstered by robust demand from data centres and gains in production yields.

But sharp price slides for some types of chips have brought an end to a two-year super cycle of tight supply and soaring demand, and analysts expect that the July-September quarter will mark a peak in earnings for the South Korean tech giant.