According to reports from Korean media on February 21, Samsung Electronics disclosed in its audit report today that the company sold its remaining 1.58 million shares of ASML, a Dutch semiconductor equipment manufacturer, in the fourth quarter of last year.
These shares were valued at approximately 1.2 trillion Korean won (about 6.5 billion CNY), and it is understood that Samsung Electronics sold its ASML shares to raise funds for upgrading its semiconductor process technology.
In 2012, Samsung Electronics invested approximately 7 trillion Korean won to acquire about 3% of ASML's shares for collaborative development of lithography machines.
In 2016, Samsung Electronics sold off 1.3% of its ASML shares, reclaiming around 6 trillion Korean won in funds.
Starting from the second quarter of last year, Samsung began selling off the remaining holdings. In the second quarter, they cashed out around 30 trillion Korean won, which was then reinvested into the semiconductor business. In the third quarter, they cashed out approximately 13 trillion Korean won.
Reports suggest that Samsung Electronics achieved a return on investment of around 8 times the initial 700 billion Korean won investment.
