Branch prediction based on sampled values

An apparatus, comprising:

• sampled state storage configured to store sampled register values of at least one register operand sampled at a sampling point in program flow;
• and
• prediction circuitry, wherein in response to a semantic branch trigger indicating that there is a future branch instruction at a point in program flow later than the sampling point which satisfies a semantic branch condition, the prediction circuitry is configured to make a determination of a branch outcome of the future branch instruction based on a sampled register value of a particular register operand,
• wherein the semantic branch condition is satisfied by a given future branch instruction for which:
• a branch outcome of the given future branch instruction is dependent on a given register operand which is one of the at least one register operands for which a sampled register value is stored in the sampled state storage, and
• a value that the given register operand will have when program flow reaches the given future branch instruction can be calculated deterministically based on the sampled register value of the given register operand sampled at the sampling point.