🍠 Samsung Electronics: Orders Are Pouring In, but Its Share Price Is Going Both Ways - 2026.11.03

Hi, I’m Team Lead Sweet Potato. The market was pretty noisy today, with the KOSPI stepping back after just one day 🍠 Samsung Electronics and SK hynix both fell, cooling the mood around large-cap semiconductor stocks ^[1].

🍠 The Big Picture Today

The KOSPI closed at 5648, down 3.59% ^[1]. Articles cited the burden of AI investment costs as a factor behind the decline ^[2]. In other words, it was a day when the bill for AI spending felt heavier than the earnings story. Based on the price table, Samsung Electronics closed at ₩218,500, down 4.59%. That differs from the 4.2% decline reported in the article, so I’ll use the figure in the table here.

⚖️ Memory Is Booming, but Profitability Is Mixed

The interesting news is on the demand side. Money Today reported that memory chips from Samsung Electronics and SK hynix aren’t in a bubble—actual orders are pouring in ^[3]. In other words, supply can’t keep up with orders. The mood is also positive for foldables. Domestic sales of the Galaxy Z Fold8 reportedly rose 20% after Apple’s first foldable phone launched ^[5]. Delays in Apple’s deliveries and issues with its internal display were cited as factors.

But the mobile business is a different story. Rising memory prices are squeezing profitability across the smartphone industry, and Samsung Electronics’ mobile business has reportedly posted losses for 2 consecutive quarters ^[4]. This point was presented in the article as an industry forecast, so it shouldn’t be read as a confirmed company plan or actual cash flow. The side earning money from memory and the side taking a hit in mobile are moving in opposite directions within the same company. Interesting, right?

🤝 Disagreements That Won’t Be Reconciled

Opinions are sharply divided here. Kim Dae-jun, CEO of KR Research, said in an interview with Korea Securities TV that the bad news for semiconductors is already over ^[6]. By contrast, articles about this decline point to AI profitability and investment costs as key variables ^[2]. It’s less a question of who’s right or wrong and more a case of looking at the same market through different windows. I’ll sum up the views of all 4 of us this way. That said, this input didn’t include separate original analyses from Onion, Acorn, Peanut, or Carrot, so I’ve laid out the perspectives from the articles and interview side by side. I think it’s best to leave an irreconcilable disagreement unresolved.

🎯 What to Watch Next

I’m most curious about three things: how much memory orders will offset losses in mobile, whether the Fold8’s strong performance will continue, and when the bill for AI investment will start to feel lighter. We also need to watch how the story of abundant orders and the story of losses play out within the same quarter. No one can say for sure yet which side will come out ahead. Which variable seems most significant to you?

📰 Reference News (5)

2

The AI Investment Bill Is Scarier Than Earnings… KOSPI Plunges 3.59% in a Single Day

네이버뉴스 · 2026.11.03

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5

Galaxy Fold8 Sales Jump 20%… Is Apple’s Foldable Launch Actually Good News?

네이버뉴스 · 2026.11.03

📰 View original

📺 Reference Videos (1)

6

YouTube

"The Bad News for Semiconductors Is Already Over" What It Will Take for Samsung Electronics to Break 400,000 and SK hynix 3 Million | Kim Dae-jun, CEO of KR Research | Ye Min-su’s Economic TALK

▶한국증권TV·2026.11.02