Samsung 2009 Profits Jump, Upbeat on Memory and TV Outlook

Samsung Electronics, the world’s top memory and LCD panel maker, has announced net income for 2009 soared 75% to 9.65 trillion won (US$8 billion) while revenues grew 23% to 89.77 trillion won. Samsung said a replacement cycle for PCs will buoy demand for DRAM chips throughout 2010, and the TV panel business is also another driver for its revenues this year.

Samsung swung to net profits of 3.05 trillion won in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared to net losses of 20 billion won in fourth-quarter 2008 when its semiconductor and LCD businesses both suffered operating losses.

Samsung’s semiconductor business (memory and system LSI) generated operating profits of 1.56 trillion won in the fourth quarter, up 44% sequentially. Profits for all of 2009 amounted to 2.15 trillion won, compared to 0.13 trillion won a year ago.

Revenues from the chip division totaled 21.79 trillion won in 2009, up 23% compared to 17.66 trillion won in 2008. For the memory segment, Samsung saw sales grow 18.9% to 13.77 trillion won last year.

LCD sales increased 10.9% to 20.04 trillion won in 2009, but operating profits slid 40% to 1.23 trillion won. Samsung believes TVs will generate a major increase in panel demand in 2010, driven by demand in China, major sporting events as well as restored consumer confidence on a general economic recovery.

Looking into 2010, Samsung said DRAM demand will be spurred by better-than-expected PC shipments in the first quarter despite seasonality. The chip vendor has moved to produce DDR3 chips using 40nm-class process technology for better cost efficiency.

Samsung also expects stronger-than-expected NAND flash sales during first-quarter 2010, as supply is still limited amid growing demand for smartphones and other new applications.

In the LCD panel market, demand for TVs is likely to grow robustly on quarter in first-quarter 2010 due to Lunar New Year celebrations, according to Samsung.