New York, Jan 12, 2026, 12:24 EST — Regular session
- Micron shares gained roughly 0.2% by midday following comments from a company executive warning of a prolonged memory market squeeze
- Micron’s VP told an outlet that “meaningful output” from new capacity might not materialize until 2028
- Investors are keeping an eye on whether the tight supplies pushing memory prices up will begin to ease later this year
Micron Technology shares barely moved Monday after a company executive warned that the DRAM shortage—used in servers, PCs, and phones—might not ease significantly until 2028.
The remarks come at a crucial time for Micron’s shares. The company now serves as a key indicator for the memory upcycle’s duration, with data center demand—driven in part by AI systems—absorbing supply that previously went to consumer gadgets.
In an interview released Sunday during CES week, Micron Vice President Christopher Moore said the company is “trying to help consumers around the world,” while data-center demand “is growing just absolutely tremendously.” He cautioned that new clean-room space won’t translate into “real output, meaningful output … until 2028.” 1
On Dec. 3, Micron announced it will exit its Crucial consumer business — the brand behind its memory and SSD retail sales — to focus on supplying “larger, strategic customers” in faster-growing areas. “AI-driven growth in the data center has sparked a surge in demand for memory and storage,” said Sumit Sadana, Micron’s chief business officer, in the statement. 2
Micron edged up roughly 0.2% to $345.89 by midday, having climbed as high as $348.28 earlier. It started the session at $340.61.
Moore’s timeline serves as a caution for traders, signaling that immediate relief might be scarce despite Micron and competitors ramping up capacity. Put simply, the spotlight stays on pricing: will constrained supplies keep propping up DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) — the premium memory paired with AI chips — or will increased production and weakening demand start to weigh on prices?
The very tightness supporting prices also sets the stage for a swift reversal. Memory markets are cyclical; a slip in cloud demand, quicker supply ramp-up, or changes in customer inventory strategies could swiftly weigh on prices and margins.
Investors face a more immediate trigger: Micron’s next quarterly dividend payment is set for Jan. 14. 3
