(image: Samsung Electronics)
SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s tech titan Samsung Electronics Co. posted a record share of the global dynamic random access memory (DRAM) market in the second quarter, data showed Tuesday, reflecting the rising presence of chips in its business portfolio.
Samsung’s share of the global DRAM market came to 45.2 percent of the global DRAM market in sales in the April-June period, up 1.1 percentage points from the previous quarter and the company’s highest quarterly figure to date, according to the data compiled by industry tracker IHS Inc.
Samsung’s portion of the DRAM market had been in the 40 percent range since the third quarter of 2014.
The previous quarterly high was 45 percent recorded in the third quarter of 2011, with Samsung posting an all-time yearly high of 42.2 percent that year.
Industry watchers said Samsung’s strong performance is attributable to its 20-nanometer production technology, which is also expected to give the tech giant the upper hand for the time being.
Samsung’s smaller local rival SK hynix Inc. followed with a 27.3 percent share, down 0.3 percentage point from the previous three-month period. U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc. held 20.4 percent in the second quarter.
Samsung has been posting lackluster earnings from its traditional mainstay smartphone business, but the robust chip segment is currently serving as its biggest cash cow.
Last week, the company said its operating income for the third quarter was estimated at 7.3 trillion won (US$6.36 billion), up 79.8 percent from the 4.06 trillion won posted a year earlier.
While Samsung did not provide details from each business division, industry watchers said the forecast-beating results apparently were thanks to the strong earnings from the chip sector, rather than a recovery from handset sales.’
(Yonhap)
