Pedestrians walk past Samsung Electronics’ Gangnam store in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Seoul Economic Daily DB
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) will carry out shareholder returns of up to 125 trillion won ($87 billion) this year through a combination of dividends and share buybacks. Under a policy of returning 50% of free cash flow (FCF) over three years, the company will pay out a record dividend of up to 110 trillion won while also buying back 15 trillion won of its own shares for employee compensation.
Samsung Electronics said in a regulatory filing that its board approved the “2026 Shareholder Return Plan” at a meeting on the 21st. Pure shareholder returns are expected to total 90 trillion to 110 trillion won this year, five times the previous high of 20.3 trillion won set in 2020 and the largest ever by a listed South Korean company.
The company will first pay about 30 trillion won in cash dividends in the third quarter, including its regular dividend. The specific method and size of the remaining returns will be decided next January, after full-year results are confirmed. Combined with a separate 15 trillion won share buyback, also approved by the board, the total amount Samsung Electronics will return to shareholders this year reaches up to 125 trillion won.
The large-scale returns stem from faithful execution of the policy to return 50% of FCF over the three years from 2024 to 2026. Between 2024 and 2025, the company paid 19.6 trillion won in regular dividends and 1.3 trillion won in special dividends, and bought back and canceled 8.4 trillion won of its own shares. Including the 90 trillion to 110 trillion won to be executed this year, cumulative shareholder returns over the three years from 2024 to 2026 are projected to reach 120 trillion to 140 trillion won.
“The record-scale shareholder returns are intended to ensure that the results of the company’s growth translate into tangible benefits for shareholders,” a Samsung Electronics official said. “Through this, we will maintain a virtuous cycle in which corporate growth and enhanced shareholder value reinforce each other, and we plan to continue communicating actively with shareholders and the market going forward.”
Employees walk through Samsung Electronics’ Seocho office building in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Seoul Economic Daily DB