Samsung Electronics stock plunged as much as 8% on Monday, even after the chipmaker unveiled the largest shareholder-return programme by a South Korean company.
Investors had priced in a cash payout and were hoping Samsung would go further.
Samsung expects to return between 90 trillion and 110 trillion Korean won ($65 billion to $80 billion) to shareholders in 2026, about five times its 2020 record of 20.3 trillion Korean won.
But the headline number was not enough after weeks of rising expectations, following rival SK Hynix’s buyback and cancellation plan.
An $80B payout sounds huge until expectations catch up
Samsung plans to distribute about 30 trillion Korean won in cash dividends in the third quarter.
The company will decide how to use the remaining shareholder-return pool after 2026 results are confirmed, with a board decision scheduled for late January 2027. Options include cash dividends, share buybacks and cancellations.
A separate 15 trillion Korean won buyback approved last week is intended for employee compensation.
That left investors without the buyback surprise many had hoped for.
Morgan Stanley described the programme as a “significant step-up” in absolute returns, but said it was “largely expected and slightly below” buy-side forecasts above 110 trillion Korean won.
Expectations had climbed higher in Korea. Eugene Investment & Securities analyst Son In-jun told Edaily before the announcement that investors were looking for roughly 130 trillion to 140 trillion Korean won or more from Samsung.
Son warned that beating those expectations enough to trigger a rally would be difficult.
Investors wanted the SK Hynix playbook
SK Hynix last week unveiled a 40 trillion Korean won share buyback and said it would fully cancel the shares.
It also strengthened its capital-return framework, pledging to return at least 50% of cumulative free cash flow through 2027 rather than treating 50% as an upper limit.
Its shares surged more than 15% across Thursday and Friday.
Cancelling repurchased stock reduces shares outstanding, potentially lifting earnings per share and increasing each remaining investor’s ownership stake.
Samsung has so far fixed only the 30 trillion Korean won dividend component of its 2026 return.
Seoul Economic Daily noted that SK Hynix’s cancellation plan provides a more direct boost to per-share value, while Samsung’s confirmed near-term return is concentrated in cash dividends.
January is now the real catalyst
Monday’s drop does not necessarily signal a rejection of Samsung’s earnings story.
The company is generating extraordinary cash as AI-driven demand for memory chips lifts profits, allowing it to honour its commitment to return 50% of cumulative free cash flow generated from 2024 through 2026.
Some analysts believe stronger capital returns can support Korean equity valuations over time.
Samsung Securities senior researcher Kim Jong-min told Edaily that Korea’s market is increasingly being judged on sustainable shareholder returns and return on equity, rather than simply cyclical earnings.
Yuanta Securities analyst Lee Jae-won similarly argued that repeated buybacks could improve capital efficiency and justify higher price-to-book valuations.
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