On January 6th, a pronounced scarcity of chips triggered a significant upswing in memory chip prices. Consequently, Samsung Electronics is anticipated to witness a staggering 160% year-on-year surge in its operating profit for the fourth quarter. In a rush to keep pace with the burgeoning demand for artificial intelligence, customers are frantically acquiring chips. According to projections from LSEG SmartEstimate, which draws on insights from 31 analysts, Samsung is poised to rake in an operating profit of KRW 16.9 trillion (equivalent to roughly USD 11.7 billion) from October to December. This marks a notable increase from the KRW 6.49 trillion recorded during the same period the previous year and represents Samsung's highest quarterly profit since the third quarter of 2018, when it reached KRW 17.6 trillion. In recent weeks, given the unexpectedly steep price hikes for conventional chips, certain analysts have revised their estimates for Samsung's fourth-quarter operating profit upwards, predicting it to exceed KRW 20 trillion. Samsung Electronics is scheduled to unveil its preliminary revenue and operating profit data on Thursday.