South Korea's top tech firm Samsung Electronics Co. is expected to further expand its presence in the chip segment this year, data showed Monday, with its sales estimated to reach a record level.
  

The South Korean chipmaker is anticipated to log a market share of 11.6 percent this year, up 0.9 percentage point from 2014, the data compiled by market tracker IHS showed. Its sales are also expected to advance 6.9 percent to a record US$40.7 billion over the cited period.
  

Intel Corp. is expected to remain the No. 1 player this year with a share of 14 percent, down 0.1 percentage point on-year, along with sales of $49.3 billion, the data also showed.
  

Samsung's smaller local rival SK hynix Inc. followed with a market share of 4.8 percent, trailed by Qualcomm Inc. and Micron Technology Inc. with 4.6 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively. It marked the first time for SK hynix to emerge as the No. 3 player.
  

South Korean companies are expected to account for 17.1 percent of the global chip market for 2015, hovering above Japan's 10.7 percent. Taiwan and China's shares are estimated at 5 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.
  

Samsung Electronics has been making efforts to bolster its chip business, especially as its traditional mainstay smartphone business suffered a setback amid the rise of Chinese rivals.
  

Samsung's semiconductor business posted a record operating profit of 3.66 trillion won (US$3.92 billion) in the third quarter, shattering the previous record of 3.4 trillion won in the third quarter of 2010. Its sales also hit an all-time high of 12.8 trillion won.
  

In contrast, Samsung's IT and mobile business posted an operating profit of 2.4 trillion won, slightly lower than the previous quarter's 2.7 trillion won. (Yonhap)