New York, Jan 15, 2026, 4:10 PM ET — After-hours
- Micron shares climbed, buoyed by a rally in chip stocks after Taiwan Semiconductor delivered a positive outlook
- Retail traders continue to flock to memory stocks, drawn by limited supply and AI-fueled demand
- Investors turn their attention to Micron’s megafab groundbreaking in New York this Friday
Micron Technology shares climbed Thursday, finishing up 1.1% at $337.08 after slipping back from earlier gains. The stock swung between a high of $347.53 and a low of $336.50 during the session.
This matters since Micron now serves as a high-beta proxy for the AI hardware boom, where even minor changes in demand, supply, and capital expenditures can shift memory price forecasts. Investors have also ramped up bets on semiconductors this week, searching for clear signs the spending cycle remains hot.
Retail investors are playing a role here. Reuters reported Wednesday that individual buyers have stepped up purchases of U.S. memory and storage stocks this month, betting on tight supply to keep prices high. Micron has jumped 18% in 2026 after soaring 240% last year. “Memory chips are certainly among the themes that are exciting our customers these days,” said Steve Sosnick, chief strategist at Interactive Brokers, in the report. 1
Thursday’s rally gained steam as the broader chip sector found support following Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s upbeat forecast for annual growth and plans to boost U.S. production capacity. “That’s been kind of squashed this morning with the news from Taiwan Semiconductor,” said Alan Lancz, president of Alan B. Lancz & Associates Inc, addressing recent concerns over tech valuations. 2
Micron is gearing up for a major announcement. The chipmaker will officially break ground on its “megafab” in Onondaga County, New York, on Jan. 16. Investors have been tracking this project closely as a key signal of both U.S. chip policy and Micron’s long-term capacity strategy. 3
Trading in MU remains largely linked to the AI memory cycle. High-bandwidth memory, or HBM—a stacked DRAM variant designed to rapidly supply data to AI processors—has emerged as a major profit engine in the industry.
Last month, Micron projected quarterly revenue that would top Wall Street’s estimates and announced plans to boost its 2026 capital expenditures. The chipmaker is ramping up investment to keep pace with soaring demand driven by AI infrastructure. 4
The risk lies in a market driven by shortage headlines flipping quickly. Should supply ramp up earlier than forecast or AI server orders stall, memory prices could dip and margins tighten fast — a pattern well-known in this cyclical industry.
Traders on Friday will zero in on any updates or policy cues from Micron’s New York groundbreaking. They’ll also be gauging if the chip rally can sustain itself as the U.S. earnings season expands past banks into a wider range of tech-related companies.
