■ Announcement · August 21, 2026
Samsung Electronics Unveils Up to $80 Billion Shareholder Return Plan
Samsung Electronics announced a shareholder return package totaling up to 110 trillion won ($79.5 billion) by 2026, following SK Hynix's buyback.
Shareholder Return Package Announced
Samsung Electronics has unveiled a comprehensive shareholder return program, committing to return between 90 trillion won and 110 trillion won (approximately $65.1 billion to $79.5 billion) to shareholders by 2026. The announcement follows a similar move by domestic rival SK Hynix, which recently declared a 40 trillion won share buyback.
Dividend and Buyback Details
As part of the plan, Samsung will distribute around 30 trillion won in cash dividends for the third quarter, including its regular quarterly dividend. The exact payout will be finalized at a board meeting scheduled for late October. The remaining shareholder returns, which may include a combination of cash dividends and share buybacks and cancellations, will be determined at a board meeting in late January 2027.
This new program builds on Samsung's previous 2024-2026 shareholder return initiative, under which the company pledged to return 50% of free cash flow generated during that period while maintaining annual regular dividends of 9.8 trillion won. In its corporate value enhancement plan released in March, Samsung disclosed that it had paid 20.9 trillion won in cash dividends in 2024 and 2025 and spent 8.4 trillion won on share repurchases for cancellation.
Market Context
The announcement comes as Samsung seeks to close the gap with SK Hynix in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chip market, a critical component for AI systems. Samsung's stock has surged approximately 135% year-to-date, reflecting investor optimism about its prospects in this segment.
What it means for income investors
This substantial return program signals Samsung's commitment to returning capital to shareholders, potentially enhancing income streams for investors. The combination of dividends and buybacks could provide a steady income component, though the final structure will be clarified in upcoming board meetings.
Reporting based on: CNBC. Figures verified against market data where available.