Samsung to Return Up to $80 Billion to Shareholders in 2026

Samsung Electronics expects between 90 trillion won and 110 trillion won to be available for shareholder returns in 2026, a sum equivalent to approximately $65.1 billion to $79.52 billion.

Samsung declares its package "the largest ever by a Korean company." The disclosure arrived on Friday, only days after domestic rival SK Hynix revealed its own share buyback, capping what analysts called a blockbuster week for payouts among South Korea's leading chip makers.

The package includes around 30 trillion won in cash dividends for the third quarter. That total incorporates the firm's regular quarterly dividend, with full payout specifics to be finalized at a board meeting scheduled for late October.

Decisions on the balance of returns are slated for late January 2027. At that meeting the company will determine the size and mix of additional cash dividends, share buybacks and cancellations.

The new framework builds on Samsung's existing 2024-2026 shareholder return program. That earlier plan committed the company to distributing 50% of free cash flow generated over the three-year period while preserving annual regular dividends at 9.8 trillion won. In a corporate value enhancement plan released in March, Samsung reported having paid 20.9 trillion won in cash dividends during 2024 and 2025 and used 8.4 trillion won for share repurchases that were subsequently cancelled.

Samsung continues targeting SK Hynix in high-bandwidth memory chips used for AI systems. Its shares have climbed around 135% year-to-date. The returns pledge follows the company's report on July 30 of a 19-fold surge in second-quarter operating profit, fueled by sustained AI-driven demand for memory chips.