Samsung’s “Good” Problem: A Growing Cash Pile
Having grabbed a big chunk of the profitable smartphone business from Apple Inc. and others, Samsung Electronics Co. now faces a new, enviable Apple-like challenge: a mammoth pile of unspent, accumulated cash.
After a first quarter marked by a 42 percent rise in net profit, Samsung said its cash and cash equivalents grew to nearly $40 billion at the end of March. After stripping out debt, Samsung’s net cash position is 31.2 trillion won, or $28.5 billion. Already one of the biggest in Asia, Samsung’s cash pile is building at an eye-popping rate. Its net cash has nearly tripled over the past year alone.