TLDR
- Samsung Electronics declined approximately 1% on Tuesday while SK Hynix tumbled nearly 3%, pulling the KOSPI index lower.
- Goldman Sachs identifies a rare convergence of four events on Thursday, October 8: preliminary earnings, ETF rebalancing, options expiry, and buyback program termination.
- The investment bank now forecasts Samsung’s Q3 operating profit at 106 trillion won, aligning with street consensus but representing a 5% reduction from its previous projection.
- Currency headwinds from a strengthening Korean won and outflows from semiconductor ETFs are creating additional headwinds for Samsung shares.
- HBM4 chip shipments are projected to surge almost 50% sequentially, supporting robust chip fundamentals despite short-term market turbulence.
Shares of Samsung Electronics dipped about 1% during Tuesday’s session, while SK Hynix suffered a steeper 3% decline, underperforming the wider semiconductor sector as market participants prepared for a congested earnings calendar. The KOSPI benchmark index retreated more than 1% alongside the chip giants.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SMSD.L
The pressure comes ahead of Samsung’s scheduled preliminary third-quarter results release later this week. Goldman Sachs analysts are warning that Thursday, October 8 represents an unusually risky trading session for the stock.
Analyst Heather Oh highlighted an uncommon confluence of four distinct catalysts converging simultaneously. The preliminary earnings announcement, semiconductor-focused ETF rebalancing, equity options expiration, and the conclusion of Samsung’s share repurchase program are all scheduled for the identical date.
This concentration of market-moving factors creates potential for amplified price swings in a single stock. Goldman characterized the situation as a multi-layered volatility driver that could disproportionately affect Samsung compared to its industry competitors.
Profit Forecast Trimmed on Currency Pressures
Goldman Sachs has revised its projection for Samsung’s third-quarter operating profit to 106 trillion won. While this figure approximates the broader analyst consensus of 105.5 trillion won, it marks a 5% downward adjustment from Goldman’s previous estimate of 112 trillion won.
The revision stems primarily from foreign exchange movements rather than weakening chip demand. The Korean won has appreciated beyond expectations, with the USD/KRW exchange rate hovering around 1,418 compared to Goldman’s earlier assumption of 1,460.
Currency appreciation reduces the won-denominated value of Samsung’s international revenues upon repatriation. Consensus forecasts across Wall Street have undergone similar downward revisions from an August high of approximately 114 trillion won for identical reasons.
Despite the adjustment, Goldman maintains confidence in the underlying business trajectory. The firm notes that operating profit exceeding 100 trillion won remains achievable given sustained strength in DRAM and NAND markets, with high-bandwidth memory products driving growth.
Goldman’s analysis anticipates Samsung’s HBM bit shipments will expand by roughly 50% quarter-over-quarter, driven by accelerating production of HBM4 technology. Standard DRAM volume growth appears relatively stagnant by comparison, primarily because Samsung is reallocating manufacturing capacity toward the higher-margin HBM segment.
Technical Factors Compound Selling Pressure
Separate from fundamental considerations, passive fund flows are creating additional headwinds. Seven exchange-traded funds focused on semiconductors, collectively managing approximately $14 billion in assets, are set to rebalance their holdings on October 8.
Samsung faces anticipated outflows due to position-size limitations embedded in these funds’ methodologies. SK Hynix and semiconductor equipment manufacturers including Isu Petasys, Wonik IPS, and Hanmi Semi are projected to receive the corresponding inflows instead.
Compounding the timing challenge, Samsung’s 15 trillion won share repurchase program is slated to conclude this week. This elimination of consistent daily bid support coincides precisely with heightened selling pressure from alternative sources.
International institutional investors have been net sellers of Samsung stock. Goldman’s research highlights five consecutive trading sessions of foreign outflows leading up to October 8, aggregating approximately $2.6 billion in selling activity.
Goldman’s trading desk data reveals sell-biased order flow throughout September, with hedge funds adopting more negative positioning compared to traditional long-term asset managers. This selling bias persisted through Thursday’s trading session, according to the analysis.
Market sentiment extends beyond Samsung specifically. Broader uncertainty surrounds AI-driven semiconductor demand following recent reports of delayed data center infrastructure deployments across the United States.
Memory competitor Micron Technology provided a more optimistic perspective last week, delivering robust quarterly results and projecting that artificial intelligence applications will maintain tight memory supply conditions for at least the next twelve months. This outlook creates a supportive environment for both Samsung and SK Hynix as they approach their respective earnings announcements.
SK Hynix, which recently completed a substantial ADR offering, is scheduled to report its third-quarter financial performance later in October. Goldman’s key recommendation for Samsung investors: monitor whether foreign buying activity resumes and whether earnings momentum can be sustained into the fourth quarter.
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