New York, Jan 6, 2026, 09:49 EST — Regular session
Micron Technology, Inc. shares rose about 5% in early New York trading on Tuesday after the memory-chip maker announced a new client solid-state drive. The stock was up 5.2% at $328.27, versus a 1.7% rise for the iShares Semiconductor ETF, after closing at $312.15 on Monday.
Micron said it launched the Micron 3610, a client SSD it described as the first PCIe Gen5 drive using its G9 QLC NAND — a denser type of flash storage designed to lower cost per bit. Micron said the drive can reach sequential read speeds of up to 11,000 megabytes per second and offer up to 4 terabytes in an M.2 2230 form factor, and is already sampling with select PC makers. “The 3610 will enable ultra-thin devices that meet the growing demands of on-device AI,” said Mark Montierth, a senior vice president and general manager at Micron. 1
The product news lands as investors focus on how long the memory upcycle can last, with pricing a key swing factor for Micron’s earnings. TrendForce said DDR5 DRAM — a type of working memory used in servers and PCs — jumped 314% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier and forecast conventional DRAM contract prices rising 55% to 60% this quarter. “Prices have … risen enough” to shift buying patterns, but “not enough to suppress overall demand,” TrendForce analyst Avril Wu told Reuters. 2
Samsung Electronics is set to give the sector another data point on Thursday, Jan. 8, when it reports preliminary fourth-quarter results, which traders often read for signals on memory pricing. The backdrop has fueled a sharp run in memory-linked stocks: Reuters calculations based on TrendForce projections show the AI boom could drive annual growth of 29% for the wider DRAM market and 46% for high-bandwidth memory through 2027. Samsung co-CEO TM Roh has called the current supply crunch “unprecedented.” 3
Some analysts argue the stock still screens cheap versus its growth outlook. FactSet’s consensus calls for Micron’s revenue to grow 93% in fiscal 2026, the strongest in the S&P 500, MarketWatch reported, adding the shares trade at a forward price-to-earnings multiple of about 9.2. 4
Separate regulatory filings showed two Micron directors recently disposed of shares and received restricted stock units. T. Mark Liu reported disposing of 2,710 shares and receiving 53 director RSUs, while Robert H. Swan reported disposing of 4,444 shares and receiving 107 RSUs, the filings showed. 5
Memory remains a boom-and-bust business, and higher chip prices can pull demand forward and then snap back once inventories build. A pullback in data-center spending or a faster supply response from major suppliers could pressure pricing and margins after the latest run-up.
Micron’s next scheduled corporate events include a quarterly dividend of 11.5 cents a share due on Jan. 14 and its annual meeting on Jan. 15, where shareholders will vote on board seats and other items including an officer exculpation proposal. 6
