U.S. Stocks Close Higher on Friday, Nasdaq Slightly Declines, Market Sentiment Neutral
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 05 2026
0mins
Should l Buy MU?
Source: Benzinga
- Stable Market Sentiment: The CNN Money Fear & Greed Index remained at 44.6 on Friday, indicating a neutral market sentiment with minimal change from the previous reading of 44.8, suggesting that investor emotions are stable without significant fluctuations.
- Positive Stock Performance: The Dow Jones gained approximately 319 points to close at 48,382.39, while the S&P 500 rose 0.19% to 6,858.47, reflecting an overall positive trend in the market, despite the Nasdaq Composite slightly declining by 0.03%.
- Strong Chip Stock Rebound: Key chip stocks, including Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), showed strong gains during the session, reflecting ongoing investor confidence in tech stocks, even as overall market sentiment remains neutral.
- Economic Data Decline: The S&P Global manufacturing PMI fell from 52.2 to 51.8 in December, indicating a slowdown in manufacturing activity that could pose risks to future economic growth, prompting investors to closely monitor subsequent economic indicators.
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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: 411.660
Low
235.00
Averages
336.12
High
500.00
Current: 411.660
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.
- AI Memory Supercycle: As data centers are built and GPU clusters expand, the scaling of AI workloads creates a bottleneck in memory and storage solutions, precisely where Micron Technology operates, which is expected to drive significant performance growth.
- Earnings Growth Potential: Industry research indicates that prices for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and NAND chips could rise by 60% and 38% respectively in Q1, providing Micron with substantial pricing power to enhance its profitability.
- Future Valuation Outlook: Despite Micron's significant potential, its stock trades at a discount compared to other AI chip leaders, with Wall Street estimating earnings per share to reach $33.73 by 2026, representing over 340% year-over-year growth.
- Investment Opportunity: Should Micron's valuation align with other leaders in the AI semiconductor market, its stock could soar between $650 and $800, suggesting up to 100% upside from current levels, highlighting its attractiveness as an investment.
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- Impressive Returns: Micron Technology boasts an average annual return of 352% over the past year and 91% over the past three years, highlighting its strong market performance and attracting significant investor interest, particularly amid surging AI demand.
- Significant Financial Growth: In the first quarter, Micron's revenue surged by 57% and net income skyrocketed by 180%, indicating the company's substantial market share gains in the rapidly expanding AI sector and its immense future growth potential.
- Strong Market Demand: AI spending is projected to exceed $2.5 trillion in 2026 and reach $3.3 trillion in 2027, providing Micron with sustained growth momentum and solidifying its leadership position in the memory chip market.
- Valuation Considerations: While Micron's price-to-sales ratio stands at 11.1, significantly above its five-year average of 3.6, its forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.6 is slightly below the five-year average of 11.6, reflecting a balance of market confidence and caution regarding its future growth.
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Investment Overview: The article discusses changes in holdings as of December 31, 2025, compared to the previous quarter ending September 30, 2025.
Comparison of Holdings: It highlights the differences in investment positions and strategies between the two reporting periods.
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- Performance Analysis: Renaissance Technologies reported a return of 9.64% in 2025, significantly trailing the S&P 500's 12% return, indicating potential weaknesses in its investment strategy that could undermine investor confidence and future capital inflows.
- Assets Under Management: As of Q4 2025, the firm reported $64.46 billion in total AUM across 3,185 securities, reflecting a broad investment footprint in the market, yet highlighting the intense competition it faces.
- Major Position Changes: The fund reduced its holdings in Palantir Technologies by 61% in 2025 to 8.79 million shares, despite maintaining an investment value exceeding $1.56 billion, which may suggest a cautious outlook on the stock's future performance.
- New Investment Dynamics: In 2025, Renaissance initiated positions in Costco, SanDisk, and Adobe, while boosting its stake in Micron Technology fourteenfold, indicating confidence in these companies' growth potential and potentially impacting the overall risk-return profile of its investment portfolio.
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- Massive Capital Expenditure: In 2026, major tech companies are projected to invest $650 billion in capital expenditures, surpassing the combined spending of 21 major U.S. automakers and energy firms, reflecting immense confidence and enthusiasm for AI investments across the industry.
- Market Reaction and Risks: While the market remains optimistic about AI's potential, concerns about the timeline for returns and economic viability are intensifying, particularly as these companies face high expenditures and the looming risk of an economic bubble.
- Cloud Business Growth: Google Cloud's business grew by 48% over the past year with a 30% operating margin, indicating that while making substantial investments, cloud services remain a crucial revenue pillar for the company, potentially driving further income growth in the future.
- Semiconductor Sector Beneficiaries: As big tech ramps up spending on servers and semiconductors, companies like Nvidia and ASML are expected to be major beneficiaries, with their revenues and margins likely to see significant boosts in the short term, further solidifying their market positions.
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- Analyst Rating Changes: Top Wall Street analysts have adjusted their ratings on several companies, reflecting varying market perspectives that could influence investor decisions and market sentiment.
- Investor Focus: When considering buying Micron Technology (MU) stock, analysts' opinions are particularly crucial, and investors should pay attention to these rating changes to make informed investment choices.
- Source of Updates: Comprehensive information on analyst rating changes, including upgrades and downgrades, can be found on our analyst ratings page, providing a thorough market insight.
- Market Impact: Adjustments in analysts' ratings not only affect the performance of individual stocks but may also create fluctuations in overall market sentiment, prompting investors to closely monitor these changes to seize investment opportunities.
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