SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics is expected to post a near nine-fold increase in first-quarter profit from a year earlier as rebounding semiconductor prices lift earnings from a low base caused by a severe chip downturn.

Operating profit for the world's biggest maker of memory chips and TVs likely rose to 5.7 trillion won ($4.24 billion) in the quarter ended March 31, according to the average of an LSEG SmartEstimate from 27 analysts, weighted toward those who are more consistently accurate.