2017 was a good year for Samsung. The company posted record profits in two quarters and is on track for a full-year record operating profit. Market analysts are now predicting that Samsung will post an operating profit of 16 trillion won or around $15 billion in Q4 2017. If that's accurate, it would be a 73 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
The prediction is based on a survey conducted by Yonhap Infomax of 19 brokerage houses. Samsung's chip division is likely going to be the biggest contributor to the company's fortunes in this quarter as well.
Samsung's Q4 2017 operating profit
The latest predictions come amid adjustments in expectations made by some analysts. Morgan Stanley recently cut its recommendation on Samsung as NAND prices have started to reverse and memory chip demand is going to peak soon.
Some investment firms have cut their Q4 2017 operating profit forecast for Samsung by more than 5 percent to $14.5 billion. Six investment firms have slashed their estimates in the past four weeks.
The latest survey suggests that some are still bullish on Samsung's prospects for Q4 2017. Hanwha Investment & Securities predicts that Samsung's fourth quarter earnings will likely hover below expectations due to one-off costs but the company's business conditions remain robust.
It's also of the view that Samsung is going to post earnings growth in the first half of 2018 as well. Samsung is yet to release its earnings guidance for Q4 2017, when that happens we'll have a good idea of what to expect from the quarterly results.
