Samsung SDI Returns to Profitability Ahead of Schedule in Q2 2026, Revenue Up 18.5%

Samsung SDI posted Q2 2026 revenue of KRW 3.77 trillion ($2.59 billion), up 18.5% year-on-year and 5.4% from the previous quarter. Operating profit reached KRW 203.8 billion, turning positive for the first time in seven quarters since Q3 2024. Net profit surged 740.5% quarter-on-quarter to KRW 471.6 billion, also turning profitable year-on-year. Cumulative operating profit for the first half hit KRW 48.2 billion, achieving a turnaround earlier than the company had expected.

In the Battery Business, revenue rose 18.8% year-on-year to KRW 3.52 trillion, with operating profit of KRW 159.3 billion marking a return to surplus. Growth was driven by high-power batteries for UPS, BBU, and power tools, as well as electric vehicles in Europe. Profitability improved thanks to higher sales of high-value products, AMPC benefits from U.S. local production, and U.S. tariff refunds. The Electronic Materials Business saw revenue up 14.5% to KRW 249.8 billion and operating profit up 34.8% to KRW 44.5 billion, led by semiconductor materials and foldable smartphone film materials.

For the second half of 2026, Samsung SDI expects continued earnings recovery. Plans include strengthening the U.S. local supply chain for ESS batteries, preparing mass production of prismatic LFP batteries, and expanding UPS production capacity. The company is also advancing sodium-ion battery development for AI data center UPS and utility-scale ESS. In EV batteries, it expects European demand to rise despite U.S. softness, and will pursue LFP projects and mass-market model supplies. For small batteries, it will expand high-power cylindrical capacity for BBU, power tools, and emerging robotics and aerospace applications. In electronic materials, strong demand for semiconductor and display materials is expected, with expanded sales of next-generation packaging and high-value film materials.