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Samsung shares surge with all eyes on Nvidia's GTC 2025

Published: 17 Mar. 2025, 14:03 Updated: 18 Mar. 2025, 15:08

LEE JAE-LIM
[email protected]

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong [NEWS1]

Shares of Samsung Electronics rallied the most in almost four months on Monday on high expectations for the company's upcoming AI chips.

The stock closed up 5.3 percent at 57,650 won ($39.79), the steepest gain since Nov. 18, 2024. Yonhap News reported Wednesday that the company would showcase its latest memory solutions, including high bandwidth memory and solid-state drives, at Nvidia's GTC 2025 conference.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to deliver the keynote speech on Tuesday morning in San Jose, California.

Ahead of the pivotal announcement, Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong released a stern message urging employees to adopt a survival-driven mindset.

Lee, in one of his strongest statements of recent times, said the company had lost its competitive drive that once characterized the company and should “confront the crisis with a do-or-die determination.”

Lee’s video message was shared internally at a recent seminar, which has been conducted by the company for 2,000 executives since late last month, including vice presidents and lower-ranking management across Samsung affiliates.

The program aims to restore “Samsung’s identity,” featuring video lessons on the management philosophies of the company’s founder Lee Byung-chul and former chairman Lee Kun-hee.

“What matters is not the crisis itself, but how we respond to it,” Lee said, adding, “we must invest in the future, even if it means sacrificing short-term profit.”

However, the chairman did not make a direct appearance in the video message.

The chairman also emphasized the importance of technological innovation and proactive investment in the sector, echoing his previous statements.

It is the most direct message that Lee has issued since November 2024, related to growing concerns over Samsung Electronics, which has been falling behind in its primary businesses in memory chips, TVs and smartphones.

“I will do everything in my power to ensure that Samsung can, once again, become a company beloved by the people,” Lee said during his final court statement under allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud.

A recent business report released by the company showed that Samsung’s global TV market share in 2024 shrank from 30.1 percent in 2023 to 28.3 percent in 2024. During the same period, smartphone share fell from 19.7 percent to 18.3 percent. Its dynamic random-access memory market share, where it holds a competitive edge, declined from 42.2 percent to 41.5 percent. Its digital cockpit market share, referring to automotive vehicle displays and infotainment systems, retracted from 16.5 percent to 12.5 percent.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [[email protected]]