Samsung profits plunge as demand for gadgets slows
The world's biggest maker of memory chips, smartphones and TVs forecast its operating profit for the period fell to around 4.3tn won ($3.4bn; £2.8bn)
It comes as the global economic slowdown hits memory chip prices and demand for electronic gadgets, Qazet.az reports.
Technology giants around the world have been hit in recent months as consumers tighten their belts.
It was Samsung's lowest quarterly profit since 2014 and missed investor expectations of around 5.9 trillion won.
The South Korean company said it saw a bigger-than-expected fall in demand for computer chips as customers cut their stocks of the key components for digital devices.
"For the memory business, the decline in fourth-quarter demand was greater than expected as customers adjusted inventories in their effort to further tighten finances," Samsung said in the statement.
"Smartphone sales and revenue decreased due to weak demand resulting from prolonged macro issues," it added.
Samsung is scheduled to publish its full financial statement on 31 January.
It is the latest major technology company to reveal how weakness in the global economy is impacting its business.
Sales have also slowed after demand boomed during the pandemic when customers at home spent a lot online.
Tens of thousands of jobs are being shed across the global technology industry, amid slowing sales and growing concerns about an economic downturn.