Samsung Returns to Roots in Components as Phones Stall
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Samsung Electronics Co. is relying on a 40-year-old memory-chip unit for earnings growth as sales of its Galaxy smartphones are eclipsed by Apple Inc. and Xiaomi Corp.
Buoyant demand for semiconductors, including from competitors in the phone business, and a falling won helped Samsung post fourth-quarter operating profit that beat analyst estimates, even though it slumped 37 percent from a year earlier.