Samsung to buy $960m TCL display stake from its own display arm
Samsung Electronics has agreed to buy its display-making affiliate’s stake in one of China’s biggest screen makers, in a deal worth about 1.27 trillion won (about $960 million).
The South Korean company said on Friday, 30 October, that it would buy Samsung Display’s entire 10.16% holding in TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology, known as TCL CSOT. The board approved the plan the day before, on Thursday, 29 October. The purchase will be made off the market, and Samsung plans to pay in December after completing the regulatory steps needed in South Korea and abroad.
The stake goes back to 2020, when Samsung Display sold its LCD factory in Suzhou, China, to TCL CSOT and took part of the payment in shares. That holding started at 12.33% and later fell to 10.16% after TCL CSOT raised more capital. Samsung Display has since left the LCD business altogether, while Samsung Electronics still buys LCD panels from Chinese suppliers for its premium QLED televisions.
Samsung said the aim was to strengthen its strategic partnership with TCL. For Samsung Display, the sale frees up about 1.3 trillion won in cash to invest in next-generation screens such as OLED. A Samsung Display official said the two companies’ business link had weakened since the LCD exit, which was why the stake was being passed to the parent company.
Why it matters
The deal keeps a key supply link inside the Samsung group while moving it to the part of the company that actually needs the panels. Samsung Electronics makes the televisions, but Samsung Display no longer makes LCD screens, so owning the stake directly gives the parent company a closer tie to a major supplier. It also gives Samsung Display a large sum of cash to put into OLED screens, the technology it is betting on for the future.
What happens next
The next step is regulatory clearance, followed by payment in December. The final dollar figure could move slightly, because the price was converted from won at 1,324.30 won to the dollar on 28 October, and Samsung said the amount payable may change with the exchange rate at the time of payment. If the deal closes as planned, Samsung Electronics will hold 10.16% of TCL CSOT directly.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://www.ajupress.com/view/20261030170470270 (Aju Press, 30 October 2026)
- https://kalkine.co.uk/news/announcements/samsung-electronics-smsd-authorises-960-million-acquisition-of-tcl-china-star-stake-from-samsung-display (Kalkine, 30 October 2026)
- https://www.mt.co.kr/en/industry/2026/10/30/2026103017050193289 (MoneyToday, 30 October 2026)
