Gold and Silver Prices Under Pressure Amid Hawkish Central Banks
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Gold Price Decline: Spot gold prices fell 0.5% to $3,980.79 per ounce on Thursday morning, marking a 7.7% decline year-to-date, indicating a lack of confidence in a rebound and potentially affecting investors' safe-haven decisions.
- Silver Price Pressure: Spot silver prices dropped 1% to $56.86 per ounce, having lost 20% of its value since the beginning of the year, reflecting market concerns over future demand and prompting investors to reassess their portfolios.
- Central Bank Policy Impact: The hawkish stance of the Federal Reserve and other central banks has led to a retreat in gold and silver prices, with markets pricing in a Fed rate hike by September, which may further diminish the appeal of precious metals and influence investor capital flows.
- Future Outlook: While Macquarie forecasts an average gold price of $4,641 per ounce for 2026, it expects a decline to $4,200 in 2027, indicating a bearish sentiment towards gold and silver prices in the long term, potentially driving investors towards other asset classes.
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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: 1051.770
Low
235.00
Averages
336.12
High
500.00
Current: 1051.770
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.
Comparative Market Analysis of Micron Technology and SpaceX
- Micron's Growth Drivers: Micron Technology's stock price has surged over 9 times in the past year, primarily driven by extraordinary demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which has become a critical component for data servers running AI applications, thus positioning the company as a strategic asset in the AI era.
- Market Share and Competitive Advantage: Despite formidable rivals like Samsung and SK Hynix, Micron stands out as the only U.S.-based memory giant, showcasing attractive valuation with a forward P/E ratio of approximately 10.5, and AI demand is expected to account for 50% of the DRAM and NAND market by 2026.
- SpaceX's Market Leadership: SpaceX dominates the satellite internet service market with its Starlink unit and leads in space launches, supported by its reusable Falcon 9 rockets and the new Starship spacecraft, with a staggering total addressable market estimated at $28.5 trillion.
- Financial Position Comparison: Micron continues to show soaring profitability and attractive investment value, while SpaceX remains unprofitable with a price-to-sales ratio of 125, indicating high valuation risk, making Micron the more compelling investment choice in the current market landscape.
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JPMorgan Bullish on Micron Technology Stock Price
- Price Target Surge: JPMorgan raised Micron Technology's price target from $550 to $1,540, nearly tripling it, reflecting confidence in the company's strong performance and projecting a nearly 50% stock price increase.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Micron's stock jumped 17% in Thursday's premarket session, leading to a shift in Stocktwits sentiment from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish,' indicating investor optimism about the company's future performance.
- Long-Term Contracts Secured: Micron signed 16 contracts with a five-year term, totaling $22 billion in orders, demonstrating customers' willingness to lock in long-term supply amid a shortage of memory components, enhancing revenue and margin protection.
- Earnings Beat Expectations: Micron reported a 346% year-over-year revenue increase to $41.46 billion in Q3, exceeding analyst expectations of $35.3 billion, showcasing strong market demand and driving stock price increases for peers like SanDisk and Western Digital.
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- Revenue Surge: Micron's Q3 revenue skyrocketed from $9.3 billion last year to $41.46 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $36 billion, showcasing the strong demand for memory driven by the AI boom, which is likely to enhance the company's market position.
- Optimistic Outlook: The company forecasts revenue of about $50 billion for the current quarter, a significant increase from $11.3 billion a year ago, reflecting its critical role in AI infrastructure development and boosting investor confidence.
- Long-Term Contracts: Micron has signed 16 long-term agreements with various customers, securing sales for three to five years and expecting financial commitments of $22 billion, which will help mitigate margin risks from potential demand fluctuations.
- Tech Stock Rebound: Micron's impressive earnings have catalyzed a rebound in global tech stocks, with shares of Intel and Nvidia also rising, indicating strong market confidence in the ongoing AI investment cycle, which may continue to support growth in the semiconductor sector.
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Micron Stock Soars 17% After Strong Q3 Earnings and Robust Q4 Guidance
- Earnings Beat: Micron's Q3 earnings report showcased a significant financial performance that exceeded market expectations, leading to a 17% surge in premarket trading, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company's future growth.
- Robust Q4 Guidance: The company's Q4 guidance indicates strong growth potential, which is expected to further enhance market expectations for product demand, thereby strengthening its competitive position in the semiconductor industry.
- Positive Market Reaction: The sharp rise in stock price reflects optimistic sentiment among investors regarding Micron's future performance, potentially attracting more institutional investors and further driving up the stock price.
- Industry-Wide Impact: Micron's strong performance and outlook not only benefit the company but may also have a positive ripple effect on the entire semiconductor industry, boosting overall sector confidence and enhancing stock performance of related companies.
See More
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- Revenue Surge: Micron's Q3 revenue skyrocketed from $9.3 billion a year ago to $41.46 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $36 billion, highlighting the company's robust performance in AI infrastructure development.
- Soaring Market Demand: The surge in demand for memory chips from AI data centers has significantly boosted Micron's market share, leading to rising memory prices and further enhancing the company's financial results.
- Long-Term Contracts: Micron has signed 16 long-term agreements with various customers, expected to generate $22 billion in financial commitments, providing stable revenue streams and mitigating margin risks.
- Optimistic Outlook: The company forecasts Q4 revenue to reach $50 billion, a substantial increase from $11.3 billion last year, with analysts optimistic about Micron's future, projecting the current growth cycle to last until 2027.
See More
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- Micron's Strong Earnings: Micron Technology (MU) reported quarterly results that exceeded market expectations, reinforcing the outlook for sustained demand for AI-related memory, which propelled the DRAM ETF to a 12.6% rise in premarket trading, reflecting strong demand for high-bandwidth memory chips.
- SK Hynix's ADR Plans: SK Hynix (SKHY) announced plans to raise up to $29.4 billion through a U.S. ADR listing, aiming to expand production capacity to meet the accelerating demand for AI memory chips, which further highlights the focus on memory manufacturers in the market.
- ETF Performance Surge: Since its launch on April 2, 2026, the DRAM ETF has gained 151.9%, showcasing investor confidence in the AI-driven memory market, particularly driven by major holdings like Micron and SK Hynix.
- Dominance in Memory Market: Samsung Electronics (005930 KS), SK Hynix (000660 KS), and Micron (MU) together account for approximately 75% of the DRAM ETF's portfolio, underscoring the dominant role of memory chip makers in the AI supply chain, which may continue to drive growth for the ETF.
See More
Comparative Market Analysis of Micron Technology and SpaceX
- Micron's Growth Drivers: Micron Technology's stock price has surged over 9 times in the past year, primarily driven by extraordinary demand for high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which has become a critical component for data servers running AI applications, thus positioning the company as a strategic asset in the AI era.
- Market Share and Competitive Advantage: Despite formidable rivals like Samsung and SK Hynix, Micron stands out as the only U.S.-based memory giant, showcasing attractive valuation with a forward P/E ratio of approximately 10.5, and AI demand is expected to account for 50% of the DRAM and NAND market by 2026.
- SpaceX's Market Leadership: SpaceX dominates the satellite internet service market with its Starlink unit and leads in space launches, supported by its reusable Falcon 9 rockets and the new Starship spacecraft, with a staggering total addressable market estimated at $28.5 trillion.
- Financial Position Comparison: Micron continues to show soaring profitability and attractive investment value, while SpaceX remains unprofitable with a price-to-sales ratio of 125, indicating high valuation risk, making Micron the more compelling investment choice in the current market landscape.
See More
JPMorgan Bullish on Micron Technology Stock Price
- Price Target Surge: JPMorgan raised Micron Technology's price target from $550 to $1,540, nearly tripling it, reflecting confidence in the company's strong performance and projecting a nearly 50% stock price increase.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Micron's stock jumped 17% in Thursday's premarket session, leading to a shift in Stocktwits sentiment from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish,' indicating investor optimism about the company's future performance.
- Long-Term Contracts Secured: Micron signed 16 contracts with a five-year term, totaling $22 billion in orders, demonstrating customers' willingness to lock in long-term supply amid a shortage of memory components, enhancing revenue and margin protection.
- Earnings Beat Expectations: Micron reported a 346% year-over-year revenue increase to $41.46 billion in Q3, exceeding analyst expectations of $35.3 billion, showcasing strong market demand and driving stock price increases for peers like SanDisk and Western Digital.
See More
Micron Reports Record Q3 Revenue of $41.46 Billion Amid AI Demand Surge
- Revenue Surge: Micron's Q3 revenue skyrocketed from $9.3 billion last year to $41.46 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $36 billion, showcasing the strong demand for memory driven by the AI boom, which is likely to enhance the company's market position.
- Optimistic Outlook: The company forecasts revenue of about $50 billion for the current quarter, a significant increase from $11.3 billion a year ago, reflecting its critical role in AI infrastructure development and boosting investor confidence.
- Long-Term Contracts: Micron has signed 16 long-term agreements with various customers, securing sales for three to five years and expecting financial commitments of $22 billion, which will help mitigate margin risks from potential demand fluctuations.
- Tech Stock Rebound: Micron's impressive earnings have catalyzed a rebound in global tech stocks, with shares of Intel and Nvidia also rising, indicating strong market confidence in the ongoing AI investment cycle, which may continue to support growth in the semiconductor sector.
See More
Micron Stock Soars 17% After Strong Q3 Earnings and Robust Q4 Guidance
- Earnings Beat: Micron's Q3 earnings report showcased a significant financial performance that exceeded market expectations, leading to a 17% surge in premarket trading, reflecting strong investor confidence in the company's future growth.
- Robust Q4 Guidance: The company's Q4 guidance indicates strong growth potential, which is expected to further enhance market expectations for product demand, thereby strengthening its competitive position in the semiconductor industry.
- Positive Market Reaction: The sharp rise in stock price reflects optimistic sentiment among investors regarding Micron's future performance, potentially attracting more institutional investors and further driving up the stock price.
- Industry-Wide Impact: Micron's strong performance and outlook not only benefit the company but may also have a positive ripple effect on the entire semiconductor industry, boosting overall sector confidence and enhancing stock performance of related companies.
See More
Micron's Q3 Revenue Soars to $41.46 Billion Amid AI Demand Surge
- Revenue Surge: Micron's Q3 revenue skyrocketed from $9.3 billion a year ago to $41.46 billion, exceeding analyst expectations of $36 billion, highlighting the company's robust performance in AI infrastructure development.
- Soaring Market Demand: The surge in demand for memory chips from AI data centers has significantly boosted Micron's market share, leading to rising memory prices and further enhancing the company's financial results.
- Long-Term Contracts: Micron has signed 16 long-term agreements with various customers, expected to generate $22 billion in financial commitments, providing stable revenue streams and mitigating margin risks.
- Optimistic Outlook: The company forecasts Q4 revenue to reach $50 billion, a substantial increase from $11.3 billion last year, with analysts optimistic about Micron's future, projecting the current growth cycle to last until 2027.
See More
Roundhill Memory ETF Gains as Micron Reports Strong Earnings
- Micron's Strong Earnings: Micron Technology (MU) reported quarterly results that exceeded market expectations, reinforcing the outlook for sustained demand for AI-related memory, which propelled the DRAM ETF to a 12.6% rise in premarket trading, reflecting strong demand for high-bandwidth memory chips.
- SK Hynix's ADR Plans: SK Hynix (SKHY) announced plans to raise up to $29.4 billion through a U.S. ADR listing, aiming to expand production capacity to meet the accelerating demand for AI memory chips, which further highlights the focus on memory manufacturers in the market.
- ETF Performance Surge: Since its launch on April 2, 2026, the DRAM ETF has gained 151.9%, showcasing investor confidence in the AI-driven memory market, particularly driven by major holdings like Micron and SK Hynix.
- Dominance in Memory Market: Samsung Electronics (005930 KS), SK Hynix (000660 KS), and Micron (MU) together account for approximately 75% of the DRAM ETF's portfolio, underscoring the dominant role of memory chip makers in the AI supply chain, which may continue to drive growth for the ETF.
See More
