Samsung's Earnings Miss Underlines Sputtering Global Demand
- Components sluggish amid weak growth in smartphone market
- Company more dependent on components as own device sales slow
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Samsung Electronics Co.’s profit miss is the latest sign the global smartphone market is running out of steam, spelling trouble for the suppliers of displays, semiconductors and other components that go into mobile devices.
The world’s largest maker of displays and memory chips, which sells to Apple Inc. and many other brands, posted fourth-quarter profit that fell short of analysts’ estimates as sales remained sluggish over the holiday season. Demand is waning for smartphones as markets mature and China’s economy slows, pressuring profit margins at Samsung.