Samsung Electronics expects record Q4 operating profit

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By Lee Youkyung
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest maker of
memory chips and flat screen TVs, expected Thursday its consolidated
fourth-quarter operating profit median to come to 3.7 trillion won (US$3.3
billion), compared with an operating loss of 740 billion won a year earlier.
Samsung Electronics said in a regulatory filing that its consolidated sales are
estimated at 39 trillion won, the highest quarterly sales ever, up 18.2 percent
from 33 trillion won a year ago.
Fourth-quarter operating profit fell 12.5 percent, compared with 4.23 trillion
won the previous quarter.
Samsung Electronics forecast that it will see bumper earnings in 2009 from a year
ago on a recovery of memory chips and flat-screen panels prices.
For the whole of 2009, consolidated revenues are expected to stand at 136.05
trillion won, while operating profits are estimated at 10.92 trillion won,
according to Samsung Electronics.
The company plans to disclose its fourth-quarter earnings later this month.
Samsung Electronics started providing quarterly guidance from July of last year.
Shares of Samsung Electronics were trading at 830,000 won on the Seoul bourse as
of 10:25 a.m., down 1.31 percent from Wednesday's close.
ylee@yna.co.kr
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