Samsung Electronics has topped the expected semiconductor sales rankings for 2018 according to one of the industry's leading market research firms.<br />SK hynix also made the list's top three.<br />Here's our Ko Roon-hee with more.<br /> <br />Semiconductor market research firm IC Insights announced on Monday the top 15 chipmaking companies by sales forecast for 2018.<br />And topping that list was Samsung Electronics,... with the expected total sales of around 83-point-3 billion U.S. dollars. <br />This is up 26-percent from a year earlier. <br />The research firm attributed the rise to Samsung's strong sales in DRAM and NAND flash markets. <br /><br />U.S. electronics firm Intel came second on the list with total expected sales of around 70-point-2 billion dollars, up 14-percent from last year. <br />Intel had topped the sales rankings from 1993 up until 2017 when it was overtaken by Samsung Electronics.<br /><br />Another South Korean chipmaker, SK hynix came third on the list with estimated sales of more than 37-point-7 billion dollars... up a whopping 41-percent from the previous year-- the highest sales growth among the 15 companies. <br /><br />The overall semiconductor industry is expected to expand this year, with the 15 leading companies' total sales expected to jump 18-percent on-year in 2018. <br /><br />Meanwhile, the South Korean government's data shows semiconductor exports remain strong.<br />According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy earlier this month, exports of semiconductors jumped 22-point-2 percent on-year in October... setting the second highest monthly exports record of around 11-point-6 billion dollars.<br />The numbers have stayed above the 10-billion mark for the sixth consecutive month. <br />Ko Roon-hee, Arirang News. <br />
