Samsung Electronics' operating profit jumped eightfold to a record 57.2 trillion won ($38.43 billion) in Q1, driven by AI infrastructure demand and memory chip price increases.

Samsung's chip business posted 53.7 trillion won in operating profit in the first quarter, accounting for 94% of total profit and reaching a record high. The company expects earnings to improve further in Q2 as investment in AI infrastructure continues to expand.

Revenue rose 69% to 133.9 trillion won in the quarter from a year earlier. The AI data centre boom has driven chipmakers to shift capacity toward advanced chips used in Nvidia's AI accelerators, squeezing supply of traditional chips and pushing up prices.

Samsung Electronics shares rose 1.3% after the earnings announcement. Year-to-date, shares have surged 88%, outstripping the wider market's 59% gain.