Samsung Electronics is expecting its consolidated sales to reach the equivalent of $56.4 billion and allow for approximately $14.6 billion in operating profit over the first quarter of 2018, the South Korean tech giant said Friday. The figures presented by the company’s financial guidance are median values of its estimated revenue and profit ranges that cannot be disclosed officially as securities regulations in the Far Eastern country don’t allow for such estimates. The guidance itself is in line with recent reports suggesting Samsung will start 2018 on a high note, with numerous analysts already predicting the conglomerate to grows its business by around 50-percent in the first three months of the year.
Samsung posted an operating profit of about $9.31 billion in Q1 2017, with the company’s latest forecast beating street estimates in terms of profits but being slightly below analyst expectations regarding sales. That state of affairs suggests Samsung may have identified new ways to improve its profitability even if it ends up underdelivering in terms of pure revenue, at least judging by the median values provided by the firm. The company’s first-quarter results are traditionally its weakest financial periods but the strong demand for memory chips should continue driving its growth in the near term. Samsung still hasn’t set a date for the publication of its consolidated financial report for the first three months of the year but one is expected to be revealed late this month, as suggested by the chaebol’s existing pattern of financial disclosures.
The Galaxy S9 lineup of Android flagships isn’t believed to have played a major role in the firm’s first-quarter performance, both because it only became available for purchase in the final two weeks of the period and because recent reports indicate its initial sales are underwhelming. Samsung is expected to continue its comprehensive diversification strategy in the future so as to minimize risk and ensure its long-term sustainability regardless of what the next big thing in the technology industry ends up being.