New York, January 29, 2026, 09:33 (EST) — The market has officially opened for regular trading hours.
- Micron shares surged about 6% early Thursday, building on the previous day’s rally.
- Samsung and SK Hynix issued warnings about a tightening DRAM supply, citing a shift in chip production capacity toward AI-focused memory.
- Investors take note: Micron executives will speak at a Wolfe Research conference on Feb. 11.
Micron Technology shares surged about 6%, hitting $435.28 in early U.S. trading Thursday, driven by fresh talk of constrained supply in the memory chip market.
This is important because Micron’s earnings often swing wildly with memory prices. In a market fueled by AI demand, even a whisper of “memory shortage” tends to spark buying—at least at first.
The industry is now zeroing in on boosting capacity for higher-margin chips aimed at data centers. That shift is tightening production of the common memory used in PCs and smartphones, keeping supply shortages a looming threat.
Chip stocks were climbing Wednesday, fueled by demand that’s reaching beyond just Nvidia’s flagship processors. Louise Dudley, a global equities portfolio manager at Federated Hermes, said, “Companies across the broader supply chain … are reporting that conditions are improving and that they are expanding their growth plans.” Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, pointed to rising demand for chip-making equipment, noting memory producers are “rushing to buy” tools as fabs boost output. 1
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix reported supply challenges for PC and mobile customers in Asia on Thursday, pointing to difficulties in obtaining DRAM—the common memory chip used in most gadgets. This squeeze comes as chipmakers pivot toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM), a stacked DRAM type critical for AI servers. “PC and mobile customers are having difficulties securing memory supplies,” said Park Joon Deok, SK Hynix’s head of DRAM marketing, during an analyst briefing. 2
Micron is right in the thick of the action. The largest U.S. memory chip maker, it battles Samsung and SK Hynix in the DRAM space while also competing in NAND flash storage chips.
The same squeeze driving prices higher could also hit demand. If PC and smartphone manufacturers cut orders, tweak specs, or delay production because memory costs are too high, shipments may slip and the “tight market” story could unravel.
Macro factors continue to weigh heavily. The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday but offered no clear clues on the timing of potential rate cuts. That uncertainty kept markets on edge, waiting for any hints on growth or inflation shifts. “Whether you were bullish or bearish going into the press conference you walked away feeling about the same,” said Michael James, an equity sales trader at Rosenblatt Securities. 3
Traders tracking Micron are zeroing in on whether AI-driven demand translates into real orders across hardware, spanning GPUs, server memory, and storage gear. Sentiment from big tech buyers and their supply chains can move the stock as much as any Micron announcement.
Micron executives are set to speak on Feb. 11 at the Wolfe Research Auto, Auto Tech and Semiconductor Conference in New York. Investors will be watching for fresh details on memory pricing, supply management, and how AI demand is shaping the near-term outlook. 4
