AI Hardware Demand Reshapes HBM Market Dynamics
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 09 2026
0mins
Should l Buy MU?
Source: Benzinga
- Surging Market Demand: The rising demand for artificial intelligence hardware is giving South Korea's leading chipmakers a competitive edge in the high-bandwidth memory (HBM) market, particularly in supplying critical components for next-generation AI processors.
- Samsung's Production Progress: Samsung has commenced mass production of its HBM4 AI memory chips, negotiating prices around $700 per unit, which is approximately 20%-30% higher than the previous generation, reflecting strong demand and tight supply in the AI memory market.
- Shifting Competitive Landscape: Industry reports indicate that Nvidia plans to source most of its HBM4 supply from SK Hynix and Samsung, with SK Hynix expected to provide about 70% and Samsung around 30%, while Micron struggles to meet the stricter technical requirements.
- Micron Stock Volatility: Micron Technology shares fell 0.67% to $367.83 in premarket trading on Monday, following a 6.74% decline on Friday, indicating market concerns regarding its position in the HBM supply chain.
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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: 367.850
Low
235.00
Averages
336.12
High
500.00
Current: 367.850
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 Cloud Memory Business Unit (CMBU), Core Data Center Business Unit (CDBU), Mobile and Client Business Unit (MCBU) and Automotive and Embedded Business Unit (AEBU). CMBU is focused on memory solutions for large hyperscale cloud customers, and high bandwidth memory (HBM) for all data center customers. CDBU is focused on memory solutions for mid-tier cloud, enterprise, and OEM data center customers and storage solutions for all data center customers. MCBU is focused on memory and storage solutions for mobile and client segments. AEBU is focused on memory and storage solutions for the automotive, industrial, and consumer segments.
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.
Micron Technology's Low Valuation Requires Proof of Growth Potential
- Valuation Analysis: Micron Technology's forward P/E ratio stands at just 3.3 times, despite tripling its quarterly revenue and increasing gross margin from 36.8% to 74.4%, indicating a significant undervaluation; however, market confidence in its future growth remains to be proven.
- Market Cyclicality: Micron's primary business, DRAM, accounts for 80% of its revenue and has historically experienced significant cyclical fluctuations; while the rise of AI has boosted DRAM demand, the company must demonstrate structural growth drivers to sustain its valuation.
- Growing HBM Demand: The surge in demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) linked to AI chip growth has created a DRAM market shortage, driving up Micron's revenue and gross margin, yet the sustainability of this growth remains uncertain.
- Long-term Contract Strategy: Micron is working to secure long-term agreements with HBM customers to mitigate business cyclicality; if it can successfully transition into a long-term AI infrastructure winner, a tripling of its stock price by 2030 is feasible, but this requires enhanced stability and market trust.
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- Market Shift: In 2026, AI stocks that had been leading the market saw a sudden downturn as investors shifted towards value and small-cap stocks, indicating a dramatic change in market sentiment.
- Micron's Low Valuation: Despite Micron Technology's impressive earnings report and robust guidance last month, its stock trades at a forward P/E ratio of under 4 times fiscal 2027 estimates, reflecting market skepticism about its earnings sustainability.
- DRAM Market Dynamics: As one of the top three DRAM manufacturers, Micron benefits from a current shortage that has driven prices up, contributing to its strong performance, yet investors remain doubtful about the longevity of these market dynamics.
- Long-Term Contracts: The three major DRAM makers are signing longer-term HBM contracts of 3 to 5 years, which will raise the floor of the DRAM market and reduce cyclical fluctuations, suggesting that Micron's stock remains a viable investment after this dip.
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- Stock Plunge: Micron Technology's stock has been severely impacted by the 2026 market rotation, despite reporting strong earnings and guidance last month, with a current forward P/E ratio below 4 times, indicating an extremely cheap valuation, yet investors are skeptical about its earnings sustainability.
- DRAM Market Dynamics: As one of the top three DRAM manufacturers, Micron's low valuation stems from the cyclical nature of the DRAM market; although there is currently a shortage driving prices up, investors doubt the longevity of these dynamics.
- Structural Growth Drivers: The emergence of high bandwidth memory (HBM) is driving the DRAM market, particularly linked to the build-out of AI chip clusters, representing a structural growth factor that contrasts sharply with typical commodity trends and may alter the cyclical nature of the market.
- Long-Term Contracts: The three major DRAM manufacturers are signing 3 to 5-year long-term contracts for HBM with volume commitments, a stark contrast to the previous yearly or quarterly agreements, which is expected to raise the floor of the DRAM market and reduce cyclical fluctuations.
See More
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- Surging Market Demand: As the demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) in AI models continues to rise, Micron Technology's stock has surged 309% over the past 12 months, highlighting its critical role in AI infrastructure.
- Growing Capital Expenditure: The five major hyperscalers are projected to spend $700 billion on AI infrastructure by 2026, providing robust market support for Micron's memory and storage chips, further driving its business growth.
- Supply Chain Transformation: Micron not only supplies dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash but is also actively expanding its manufacturing capacity to meet the increasing computational demands, thereby solidifying its competitive edge in the AI chip sector.
- Optimistic Industry Outlook: Although Micron's applications are more specialized compared to Nvidia, its importance in the AI revolution is becoming increasingly evident, and it is expected to continue benefiting from the long-term tailwinds of accelerated capital expenditures from big tech.
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- Micron Stock Surge: Micron Technology's shares have risen 27% this year and nearly 309% over the past 12 months, reflecting its strong performance in the AI chip sector, particularly amid surging demand for memory and storage from big tech companies.
- Key Role of Memory and Storage: Micron's dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash memory are becoming central to AI infrastructure, with big tech expected to spend $700 billion on AI infrastructure, leading to a sustained increase in demand for Micron's storage chips.
- Future Outlook and Investment Strategy: While Micron's application in AI is more specialized compared to Nvidia's, its growing importance in AI building projects is evident, prompting investors to carefully evaluate opportunities between Micron and the more diversified Nvidia.
See More
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- Valuation Analysis: Micron Technology's forward P/E ratio stands at just 3.3 times, despite tripling its quarterly revenue and increasing gross margin from 36.8% to 74.4%, indicating a significant undervaluation; however, market confidence in its future growth remains to be proven.
- Market Cyclicality: Micron's primary business, DRAM, accounts for 80% of its revenue and has historically experienced significant cyclical fluctuations; while the rise of AI has boosted DRAM demand, the company must demonstrate structural growth drivers to sustain its valuation.
- Growing HBM Demand: The surge in demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) linked to AI chip growth has created a DRAM market shortage, driving up Micron's revenue and gross margin, yet the sustainability of this growth remains uncertain.
- Long-term Contract Strategy: Micron is working to secure long-term agreements with HBM customers to mitigate business cyclicality; if it can successfully transition into a long-term AI infrastructure winner, a tripling of its stock price by 2030 is feasible, but this requires enhanced stability and market trust.
See More
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- UnitedHealth Group Upgrade: Raymond James upgraded UnitedHealth Group (UNH) from Market Perform to Outperform, projecting potential earnings upside of 7.5% to 8% over the next few years, indicating significant growth potential from AI initiatives and margin improvements in Optum Health.
- Akamai Downgrade: Baird downgraded Akamai Technologies (AKAM) from Outperform to Neutral, noting that despite a 33% year-to-date gain, the risk-reward profile has become more balanced, particularly with seasonal factors potentially limiting Q1 upside in its key CIS segment.
- Snowflake Coverage Initiated: Benchmark initiated coverage on Snowflake (SNOW) with a Buy rating and a $190 price target, believing the company will thrive as a leading cloud data warehouse in the ongoing enterprise AI revolution, supported by R&D spending averaging 22.8% of revenue.
- Asana Valuation Upgrade: RBC Capital Markets upgraded Asana (ASAN) from Underperform to Sector Perform, citing a more compelling valuation as it shifts to a consumption-based model, while also noting no significant disruptions from AI alternatives affecting deal cycles or sizes.
See More
Micron Technology's Stock Plummets Despite Positive Outlook
- Market Shift: In 2026, AI stocks that had been leading the market saw a sudden downturn as investors shifted towards value and small-cap stocks, indicating a dramatic change in market sentiment.
- Micron's Low Valuation: Despite Micron Technology's impressive earnings report and robust guidance last month, its stock trades at a forward P/E ratio of under 4 times fiscal 2027 estimates, reflecting market skepticism about its earnings sustainability.
- DRAM Market Dynamics: As one of the top three DRAM manufacturers, Micron benefits from a current shortage that has driven prices up, contributing to its strong performance, yet investors remain doubtful about the longevity of these market dynamics.
- Long-Term Contracts: The three major DRAM makers are signing longer-term HBM contracts of 3 to 5 years, which will raise the floor of the DRAM market and reduce cyclical fluctuations, suggesting that Micron's stock remains a viable investment after this dip.
See More
Micron Technology Stock Plummets Amid Market Rotation
- Stock Plunge: Micron Technology's stock has been severely impacted by the 2026 market rotation, despite reporting strong earnings and guidance last month, with a current forward P/E ratio below 4 times, indicating an extremely cheap valuation, yet investors are skeptical about its earnings sustainability.
- DRAM Market Dynamics: As one of the top three DRAM manufacturers, Micron's low valuation stems from the cyclical nature of the DRAM market; although there is currently a shortage driving prices up, investors doubt the longevity of these dynamics.
- Structural Growth Drivers: The emergence of high bandwidth memory (HBM) is driving the DRAM market, particularly linked to the build-out of AI chip clusters, representing a structural growth factor that contrasts sharply with typical commodity trends and may alter the cyclical nature of the market.
- Long-Term Contracts: The three major DRAM manufacturers are signing 3 to 5-year long-term contracts for HBM with volume commitments, a stark contrast to the previous yearly or quarterly agreements, which is expected to raise the floor of the DRAM market and reduce cyclical fluctuations.
See More
Micron Technology Emerges as a Key Player in AI Chip Market
- Surging Market Demand: As the demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) in AI models continues to rise, Micron Technology's stock has surged 309% over the past 12 months, highlighting its critical role in AI infrastructure.
- Growing Capital Expenditure: The five major hyperscalers are projected to spend $700 billion on AI infrastructure by 2026, providing robust market support for Micron's memory and storage chips, further driving its business growth.
- Supply Chain Transformation: Micron not only supplies dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash but is also actively expanding its manufacturing capacity to meet the increasing computational demands, thereby solidifying its competitive edge in the AI chip sector.
- Optimistic Industry Outlook: Although Micron's applications are more specialized compared to Nvidia, its importance in the AI revolution is becoming increasingly evident, and it is expected to continue benefiting from the long-term tailwinds of accelerated capital expenditures from big tech.
See More
Micron Technology: Potential New Nvidia?
- AI Chip Market Dynamics: From 2023 to 2025, Nvidia's chipsets became the backbone of generative AI, propelling its market value to the highest globally, although growth investors have shown less interest in big tech in 2026, with Nvidia's stock down 5.2% year-to-date.
- Micron Stock Surge: Micron Technology's shares have risen 27% this year and nearly 309% over the past 12 months, reflecting its strong performance in the AI chip sector, particularly amid surging demand for memory and storage from big tech companies.
- Key Role of Memory and Storage: Micron's dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND flash memory are becoming central to AI infrastructure, with big tech expected to spend $700 billion on AI infrastructure, leading to a sustained increase in demand for Micron's storage chips.
- Future Outlook and Investment Strategy: While Micron's application in AI is more specialized compared to Nvidia's, its growing importance in AI building projects is evident, prompting investors to carefully evaluate opportunities between Micron and the more diversified Nvidia.
See More
