Samsung has reported a significant improvement in its cash holdings as it now achieved a record high cash reserve of 77 trillion won ($69.10 billion). It's a 7.8 percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2015. Samsung counts its cash, cash equivalents, short-term financial instruments and short-term liquid assets in its cash reserves. Samsung saw an increase of 14.2 percent in its cash and cash equivalents to 25.84 trillion won from late last year while the amount of its short-term instruments went by 7.3 percent to 47.45 trillion won in the same period.
Analysts expect that as Samsung continues to streamline its portfolio its cash reserves will increase further in the coming quarters. This is supported by Samsung's recent sale of securities in four different companies that freed up almost $900 million in cash for the company. As part of its portfolio restructuring Samsung has also sold its printing business to HP for $1.05 billion.
Samsung is expected to use this money to acquire emerging tech companies to fuel future growth engines. It may also use some of the reserves to improve dividend yields for shareholders. Samsung did say last year that it's going to improved its dividend policies to offer greater value to shareholders. It then embarked on a $10 billion program to buyback its own shares in a move aimed at reviving investor confidence in the conglomerate.
