Samsung Electronics' Cash Holdings Top KRW 200 Trillion for First Time; KRW 110 Trillion in Shareholder Returns, KRW 130 Trillion in Investment

Cash assets hit KRW 214.8 trillion in the third quarter
Capital expenditure of KRW 84 trillion and R&D spending of KRW 50 trillion set new records

Samsung Electronics has become the first company in South Korea to hold more than KRW 200 trillion in cash.

According to industry sources on November 8, Samsung Electronics had KRW 214.8 trillion in cash assets at the end of the third quarter. This figure comprises cash and cash equivalents and short-term financial instruments. It was up KRW 24.8 trillion from KRW 190 trillion in the previous quarter and nearly double the KRW 108.5 trillion recorded in the same period last year. Net cash, excluding borrowings, also reached KRW 197.6 trillion. Total assets rose KRW 32.3614 trillion from the previous quarter to KRW 791.8419 trillion, bringing the company close to the KRW 800 trillion mark.

Samsung Electronics' Seocho Building in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. July 7, 2026. Reporter Yoon Dongju.

Backed by its ample cash reserves, Samsung Electronics is set to deliver shareholder returns on an unprecedented scale. Its total shareholder returns for this year are expected to reach KRW 110 trillion, the top end of its target range. The company has paid out KRW 35 trillion in cash dividends so far this year, including KRW 30 trillion in the third quarter. Based on its shareholder return plan of KRW 90 trillion to KRW 110 trillion for the year, KRW 55 trillion to KRW 75 trillion remains available.

Industry sources expect the company to deploy the entire remaining KRW 75 trillion, backed by its ample cash flow. Additional returns will be allocated to cash dividends and large-scale share buybacks and cancellations. The company is also widely expected to consider increasing the share of preferred shares in its buybacks, as their discount to common shares has widened. SK hynix, which reported cash assets of KRW 114.46 trillion in the third quarter, has also set its shareholder returns for this year at KRW 100 trillion.

Capital expenditure and research and development (R&D) spending to secure future competitiveness are also set to reach record highs. Their combined annual spending is expected to exceed KRW 130 trillion. Capital expenditure is projected to reach KRW 84.4 trillion, up 60% from the previous year. This would be about 57% higher than the previous record of KRW 53.6 trillion set in 2024.

Of that amount, KRW 76.8 trillion will be allocated to the Device Solutions (DS) division. The company will expand new memory production lines (fabs) and strengthen the production system at its Taylor, Texas, foundry fab. R&D spending totaled KRW 41.7 trillion through the third quarter, already exceeding last year's annual record of KRW 37.7 trillion. Annual R&D spending is expected to surpass KRW 50 trillion for the first time.

Samsung Electronics said, "We expect the semiconductor industry's strong performance to continue next year, driven by the prolonged impact of record AI investment and constraints on semiconductor supply." The company added, "At a board meeting scheduled for the end of January next year, we plan to finalize and announce our next shareholder return policy, the total amount of shareholder returns from this year's remaining resources, and specific implementation plans."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.