Samsung jumps 12%, market value tops $1 trillion

Samsung Electronics shares rose 12% on Wednesday, lifting the company’s market capitalization above $1 trillion after the firm reported a first-quarter operating profit of ₩57.2 trillion and revenue of ₩133.9 trillion.

Market data show Samsung first crossed the $1 trillion level on Feb. 26; Wednesday’s rally took the stock to a new peak. The quarterly operating profit exceeded the company’s full-year operating profit for 2025, which was ₩43.6 trillion.

Over the past year Samsung shares have gained more than 186%. The stock is up more than 59% year to date in 2026, and the five-year gain stands above 48%.

Brokerages largely retained positive ratings after the results and adjusted price targets upward. CLSA and Nomura/Instinet maintained Buy ratings with targets near ₩340,000. JPMorgan kept a Buy rating and raised its target to ₩350,000 from ₩300,000. HSBC set a ₩350,000 target, and Morgan Stanley raised its target to ₩362,000 in April.

Asian markets opened higher alongside Samsung’s rally. South Korea’s Kospi set a record, rising more than 5% on the session. SK Hynix gained over 9% in early trading and reached a record high. Other regional indexes, including Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200, opened with gains.

There were reports that Apple held early talks with Samsung and Intel about producing chips for Apple devices in the United States, presenting Apple with an additional manufacturing option beyond its current partner.

Investors cited the company’s larger-than-expected quarterly profit and strong revenue as factors behind renewed buying interest. The combination of a record quarterly result, upward adjustments to analyst targets and broad gains across Asian markets coincided with the stock’s move past the $1 trillion threshold.

Trading volumes and intraday price action pushed Samsung to a fresh high on Wednesday, reflecting the market response to the first-quarter figures and the updated analyst outlooks.