Samsung expected to post solid earnings for Q4: analysts

SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is anticipated to post sound earnings for the fourth quarter of 2017, analysts said Sunday, driven mostly by its chip business.

According to the data compiled by Yonhap Infomax, the financial arm of Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean tech giant is anticipated to post an operating profit of 16 trillion won (US$15 billion), up 73 percent from a year earlier. The survey was conducted on 19 local brokerage houses.

DB Financial Investment said in its latest report that the world's largest manufacturer of semiconductors is expected to post an operating profit of 15.7 trillion won in the October-December period.

The securities firm said while the figure is revised down from the previous outlook of 16 trillion won, the decline is attributable to special bonuses paid out to staff following robust returns.

Even considering such bonuses, Samsung said the chip division is set to post an operating profit of 10.8 trillion won, soaring from 5 trillion won tallied a year earlier.

Hanwha Investment & Securities echoed the view, claiming while the fourth-quarter earnings may hover below expectations, the gap would be attributable to one-off costs, and the firm's business conditions remain solid.

"(Samsung) is expected to post earnings growth through the first half of 2018," Hanwha said, claiming the global DRAM market will remain stable for the foreseeable future.

colin@yna.co.kr
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