Client Brief: Samsung Just Posted the Largest Tech Profit Yet Reported: Old Memory Now Costs More Than AI Chips

Samsung’s Q2 2026 operating profit of roughly KRW89.4 trillion (~$58.4 billion) is attributed almost entirely to its memory business. The South Korean tech giant has not yet disclosed a divisional breakdown but market expectation is that the Device Solutions (DRAM, NAND, HBM) division carried the bulk of the profit, while the consumer electronics division posted comparatively weak results due to its own rising component costs.
The mechanism behind that is directly relevant to component pricing in the ITAD channel. DRAM contract prices are up 58–63% quarter-on-quarter and NAND Flash up 70–75% QoQ. Legacy memory has been hit hardest by scarcity, with DDR4 spot pricing running above even advanced HBM3e, which is a real inversion where end-of-life memory costs more per gigabit than the chip industry’s most advanced product.

That inversion is the number to watch. It means components pulled from older, decommissioned enterprise hardware are sitting on unusually strong resale value right now. Industry commentary places relief no earlier than late 2027–2028, so this is a multi-quarter pricing environment, not a one-time spike, though it is a window, not a new floor.

Apple leads on inputs, faces questions on ITAD

Apple’s latest environmental milestone, a claim that 30% of the material in all products it shipped in 2025 was recycled, landed on Earth Day and has been widely cited in ESG coverage. According to the company’s April 16 newsroom release, that figure represents the highest-ever share of recycled material in its devices and is framed as a key step toward Apple’s 2030 climate targets.

Secondary Market: Intel boosts margins by selling what it used to scrap

Intel’s Q1 non-GAAP gross margin came in at 41%, roughly 650 basis points above the company’s own guidance. Management attributed the beat to a combination of higher volumes, favorable mix, pricing, and better 18A yields. According to industry analyst Ben Bajarin, who posted on X following the earnings call, part of the lift came from yield salvage: selling marginal silicon, much of it edge-die that would normally be binned out or scrapped rather than shipped into a usable SKU. Intel is now capturing revenue from silicon that would previously have been written down or held in reserve.

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.