AI Drives Exponential Growth in Capital Expenditure
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 12 2026
0mins
Should l Buy MU?
Source: CNBC
- Surge in Capital Expenditure: Top hyperscalers are expected to increase capital expenditures by 70% this year, with Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Microsoft planning a combined spending of over $600 billion, indicating a strong commitment to AI infrastructure investment.
- Mixed Market Reactions: Despite the significant increase in capital spending, Amazon and Microsoft's shares have dropped 12% and 16% respectively, while Alphabet's stock is down less than 1% and Meta's has risen by 1%, reflecting investor concerns about the timing of returns on these investments.
- Infrastructure Investment Opportunities: With spending accelerating, investors are drawn to
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Analyst Views on MU
Wall Street analysts forecast MU stock price to fall
26 Analyst Rating
24 Buy
2 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 389.320
Low
235.00
Averages
336.12
High
500.00
Current: 389.320
Low
235.00
Averages
336.12
High
500.00
About MU
Micron Technology, Inc. provides memory and storage solutions. The Company delivers a portfolio of high-performance dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), NAND, and NOR memory and storage products through its Micron and Crucial brands. The Company's products enable advancing in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications. Its segments include Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU), Mobile Business Unit (MBU), Embedded Business Unit (EBU), and Storage Business Unit (SBU). CNBU segment includes memory products and solutions sold into the data center, PC, graphics, and networking markets. MBU segment includes memory and storage products sold into the smartphone and other mobile-device markets. EBU segment includes memory and storage products and solutions sold into the intelligent edge through the automotive, industrial, and consumer embedded markets. SBU segment includes SSDs and component-level storage solutions sold into the data center, PC, and consumer markets.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Rating Maintained with Price Target Increase: Citi has maintained its Buy rating on Micron Technology while raising the price target from $385 to $430, reflecting optimism ahead of the company's quarterly results, particularly amid surging memory prices and strong AI demand.
- Memory Price Forecast: Citi analysts project that DRAM average selling prices will increase by 171% year-over-year by 2026, with NAND prices also expected to rise by 127%, driven by robust demand from data centers and eSSD, highlighting Micron's competitive position in the market.
- Market Cycle Analysis: Analysts noted that the key investor debate surrounding Micron is whether we are in an extended memory cycle akin to the 1990s Windows PC DRAM cycle, particularly given strong AI demand and limited new fab capacity, which could impact future price trends.
- Competitor Dynamics: Samsung's reported 100% quarter-over-quarter increase in DRAM prices in Q1 2026 has further heightened market interest in Micron, with analysts believing that despite the sharp price hikes in Q1, Micron's stock could still sustain gains this year.
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- Market Trend Analysis: In the latest Motley Fool Scoreboard episode, expert analysts delve into market trends surrounding Micron Technology, offering unique insights into potential investment opportunities that can help investors navigate future market movements.
- Stock Price Dynamics: As of January 28, 2026, Micron Technology's stock price increased by 3.41%, reflecting optimistic market expectations for its future performance, which may attract more investor attention towards the company.
- Video Content Highlights: The episode features a detailed analysis of Micron Technology, with experts sharing their perspectives on the company's future development, aimed at providing viewers with comprehensive support for investment decisions.
- Investor Education: By watching this video, investors can gain a deeper understanding of Micron Technology and its position in the semiconductor industry, enabling them to make more informed investment choices.
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- Market Performance: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.21%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 0.07%, and the Nasdaq 100 by 0.04%, reflecting market concerns over the Iran war and rising 10-year Treasury yields.
- Oil Price Plunge: WTI crude oil prices dropped by 12% following President Trump's assertion that the Iran war is 'pretty much' over, which not only alleviates inflationary pressures on the US economy but may also influence the Fed's monetary policy direction.
- Strong Home Sales: February existing home sales in the US rose by 1.7% month-over-month to 4.09 million, exceeding market expectations of 3.88 million, indicating resilience in the housing market that could support the stock market.
- Tech Stock Performance: Despite the overall market decline, most of the Magnificent Seven tech stocks rose, with Nvidia and Meta Platforms gaining over 1%, reflecting continued investor confidence in tech stocks, although Microsoft underperformed.
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- Accelerated Memory Development: Micron Technology and Applied Materials announced a partnership to expedite the development of advanced memory, particularly DRAM and NAND storage for AI applications, aiming to meet the surging market demand and enhance the company's competitive position.
- Significant Stock Surge: Following this announcement, Micron's stock rose by 5.1% to $17.77 per share, reflecting market optimism regarding its future growth potential, especially against the backdrop of strong demand in the AI sector.
- Deepened R&D Collaboration: The two companies will share their engineering teams' research efforts, focusing on the development of next-generation materials and process technologies, which not only strengthens the semiconductor innovation pipeline in the U.S. but also lays a foundation for Micron's sustained growth in the AI market.
- Optimistic Financial Outlook: Micron expects to report second-quarter results on March 18, with projected revenue of $18.7 billion and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $8.42, representing a substantial increase from last year's $8 billion and $1.56, indicating robust growth driven by AI demand.
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- Market Investment Trend: In 2026, the five largest hyperscalers are expected to invest $700 billion in AI infrastructure, which will benefit several companies in the semiconductor industry, particularly those linked to AI technologies.
- Nvidia's Market Leadership: Nvidia (NVDA) reported a 73% year-over-year growth in its recent Q4 results, demonstrating strong demand for its graphics processing units (GPUs), which solidifies its dominant position in the AI infrastructure space.
- AMD's Growth Potential: While trailing Nvidia in the GPU market, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has carved out a niche in the inference market and secured large GPU commitments from OpenAI and Meta, with data center CPU demand expected to surge due to the rise of agentic AI.
- TSMC's Technological Edge: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) benefits from skyrocketing demand for GPUs, AI ASICs, and CPUs, and its technological superiority in chip manufacturing and packaging has led to a near-monopoly position, setting the stage for robust growth in the coming years.
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