The company is expected to report a fourth-quarter operating profit of about 16.9 trillion won for the October–December period, according to analyst estimates compiled by LSEG. 

That figure would represent a jump of roughly 160% from a year earlier and place Samsung within touching distance of its 2018 peak, when the memory market last experienced a major price cycle.

What has changed is not just demand, but the structure of it. With manufacturers focusing capacity towards advanced chips for data centres, output of conventional memory has tightened. Prices have responded with unusual force. 

TrendForce data shows DDR5 DRAM prices climbed 314% year-on-year in the fourth quarter, while contract prices for standard DRAM are forecast to rise another 55% to 60% in the first quarter of this year.

That dynamic plays directly into Samsung’s hands. The company is heavily exposed to conventional DRAM, a segment that many rivals had begun to treat as mature. 

“As conventional DRAM prices continue to surge, Samsung – whose production capacity is largely concentrated in this segment – stands to gain relatively more from the current price upcycle,” TrendForce analyst Avril Wu said.

This quarter goes beyond a one-off rebound. Just over a year ago, Samsung’s leadership was apologising publicly for weak performance as it fell behind SK Hynix in supplying high-bandwidth memory to Nvidia. 

Today, the tone is different. On Friday, executive chairman Jun Young-hyun told investors that customers had described Samsung’s next-generation HBM4 chips by saying, “Samsung is back.”

The competitive backdrop explains why that is important. SK Hynix completed what it described as world-first HBM4 development in September 2025, doubling bandwidth and cutting power use by 40%. 

By the end of last year, it had already sold out its entire 2026 supply to Nvidia. Micron, meanwhile, has told investors that tight memory conditions could last beyond 2026, with chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra warning that the company expects to meet only half to two-thirds of demand from several major customers.

At CES 2026, chipmaker Nvidia unveiled its Vera Rubin platform, confirming that the next generation of its systems will rely on HBM4 memory. Nvidia said the Vera Rubin architecture is in full production and on track for launch later this year, underlining how critical reliable HBM supply has become.

Samsung’s expected profit surge shows this bigger change. Some analysts have already lifted their fourth-quarter forecasts above 20 trillion won, betting that price momentum in traditional memory has been underestimated. 

Looking further ahead, market forecasts reveal Samsung’s operating profit could exceed 100 trillion won this year, more than double last year’s level, if pricing remains firm.

Investors have largely embraced the turnaround. Samsung shares rose 125% last year, their strongest annual gain in 26 years, although they dipped 2.1% in early Tuesday trading as the wider market paused after a rally.

Risks have not disappeared. Lee Min-hee of BNK Investment & Securities cautioned that higher chip prices could cool demand for consumer devices and flagged “risks of a demand slowdown” as data centres rely more on debt to fund expansion. 

Samsung itself has acknowledged the limitations on its mobile business, where rising component costs are squeezing margins. “As this situation is unprecedented, no company is immune to its impact,” co-chief executive TM Roh said, adding that the fallout looks “inevitable”.

Even so, a memory market once dismissed as cyclical has become essential to the next phase of global computing. 

Profit grew by 25%, with earnings hitting $6.61 per share. Wall Street expected less. Netflix delivered more.

What’s fuelling the engine? Price hikes, for one. In January, Netflix raised subscription fees in key markets including the U.S., UK, and Argentina. France is next. And for those trying to outsmart the system through password sharing, the platform responded with an $8.99 charge per extra member.

But there’s more. Netflix has quietly changed its strategy. It no longer shares how many subscribers it gains or loses. That metric, once treated like gospel, has been tossed aside. 

Now the focus is squarely on money—revenue, profit, margins. All signs point to a company that’s matured and wants the world to know it.

Operating income came in at $3.3 billion, a solid 27% increase, smashing expectations. The operating margin hit 31.7%, more than three percentage points above its own target. That’s not just strong; it’s aggressive efficiency.

Co-CEO Greg Peters didn’t sugar-coat anything when speaking to analysts. “We’re paying close attention to consumer sentiment and where the broader economy is moving. Based on what we’re seeing, there is nothing significant to note.” His tone was measured but confident—Netflix knows where it’s going.

We also got a rare glimpse into the advertising push. Netflix has launched its own ad tech platform in the U.S., and plans to take it global. “We believe our ad tech platform is foundational to our long term ads strategy,” the company said in its report. 

The goal? Better targeting, fresh ad formats, and more value for advertisers. And yes, they expect ad revenue to double in 2025.

Live content is another power play. After grabbing attention with last year’s Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul boxing event, Netflix is going all in. There’s a rematch between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor on the cards. WWE’s Monday Night Raw is already part of the streaming menu. The company has gone beyond being a content library to a live stage now.

In Nigeria, the ripple effect has been real. Last July, Netflix hiked its Premium Plan by 40%—from ₦5,000 to ₦7,000. That came just three months after the Standard Plan jumped from ₦4,000 to ₦5,500. Users grumbled. Netflix didn’t blink. These increases form part of its wider goal: make more money from existing users.

Let’s not forget the massive subscriber gain Netflix saw at the end of 2024—18.9 million new members. But with slower growth forecast for 2025, the company is tightening its grip on profitability, not popularity.