New York, Feb 2, 2026, 12:52 PM EST — Regular session
- Rambus shares surged roughly 11% by midday, beating the broader chip sector’s gains.
- Memory-linked stocks came back into the spotlight as DRAM price forecasts surged sharply higher.
- Rambus is set to release its quarterly results after the market closes, and investors are on edge.
Shares of Rambus Inc (RMBS) surged 11.4%, hitting $126.83 by midday Monday, after moving between $109.66 and $127.13 earlier in the session.
This move is significant since Rambus now acts as a key gauge for the server-memory cycle: when investors anticipate AI data centers ramping up memory demand, the stock can jump sharply. Monday’s surge coincides with the company preparing to report earnings and provide guidance after the bell.
On Monday, market researcher TrendForce revised its forecast for conventional DRAM contract prices — the bulk negotiated prices that serve as an industry benchmark — to a 90% to 95% increase in the January-to-March quarter compared with the prior three months. The firm pointed to “persistent AI and data center demands in 1Q26” as a key factor, saying these trends are exacerbating the global memory supply and demand imbalance and boosting suppliers’ pricing power. (Reuters)
Chip and memory shares pushed mostly higher. The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) jumped 2.4%, with the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) up 1.8%. The Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) edged 0.9% higher. Micron Technology surged 6.2%, and Western Digital rose 8.5%.
Rambus is set to hold a conference call at 5 p.m. EST to review its Q4 and full-year 2025 results, the company’s investor site shows. (Rambus Investor)
An Investing earnings preview from Monday noted analysts expect roughly 68 cents per share in profit on about $188 million in revenue this quarter. The report highlighted AI server demand and the rollout timing of new memory-module designs plus related “companion” parts as major factors shaping 2026 forecasts.
Expect to hear more about MRDIMM — a “Multiplexed Rank Dual Inline Memory Module” that boosts bandwidth in server memory beyond what standard DDR5 modules offer. (Micron Technology)
But the risk is clear: this trade is crowded, and Rambus can hit hard if you bet wrong. Even a cautious forecast or signs of weakening orders can flip a rally into a swift sell-off. Plus, Rambus doesn’t actually sell DRAM chips, so rising DRAM prices don’t necessarily boost its revenue.
Traders are focused on the earnings release, but the real attention will be on the 5 p.m. EST call Feb. 2, when management discusses demand for the March quarter.
