Samsung sees Q1 operating profit fall

SEOUL, Apr 7 (Reuters): South Korea's Samsung Electronics on Thursday forecast operating profit would fall more than a third in the first quarter to about 2.9 trillion won ($2.67 billion) due to weaker global demand. Samsung, the world's largest maker of memory chips and flat-screen televisions, forecast sales of 37 trillion won in January-March. It released its earnings guidance, which does not include a net profit estimate, before official first-quarter results later this month. The estimated operating profit represents a 34 percent fall from the figure in the first quarter of 2010.