New York, Jan 31, 2026, 17:45 (ET) — Market closed
- Micron plunged Friday after a turbulent session marked by heavy trading volume
- Investors weigh climbing memory prices against high hopes for AI-driven hardware
- Next week, megacap earnings and key U.S. labor data will take center stage, potentially reshaping sentiment in the chip sector
Micron Technology slid $20.91, or 4.8%, ending Friday at $414.88. The stock fluctuated between $455.50 and $407.13 amid heavy trading, with volume topping 50 million shares. After hours, shares clawed back about 1.75% to $422.13. (Yahoo Finance)
The pullback has investors on edge heading into Monday’s open. This week’s lineup includes earnings from Alphabet, Amazon, and Advanced Micro Devices, coming right after Microsoft’s warning about slowing returns from heavy AI investments. “The onus is going to be on them to deliver,” said Jim Baird of Plante Moran Financial Advisors. Sid Vaidya at TD Wealth pointed out that AI infrastructure capex “will not see any letup.” (Reuters)
Micron’s role upstream in data-center buildouts puts it in a key spot. While software stocks have faltered, chip and storage firms are standing out as clear winners from the AI surge. Memory makers such as SanDisk and Western Digital have posted solid gains this January, Reuters reports. (Reuters)
Customer demand is showing signs of picking up—and profit margins are reflecting that shift. Apple CEO Tim Cook pointed out that “market pricing for memory [is] increasing significantly.” SK hynix said PC and mobile clients are “adjusting purchase volumes” amid a steep rise in memory chip prices. Samsung Electronics warned expansion will remain constrained through 2026 and 2027. At the same time, research firms have flagged weaker outlooks for PCs and smartphones as costs climb. (Reuters)
SanDisk on Thursday projected profit and sales figures that topped expectations and secured a key supply agreement, betting on AI-fueled storage demand. CEO David Goeckeler was blunt: “Customers prefer supply over price.” (Reuters)
Micron is backing its story with major capacity investments. Earlier this week, the company revealed plans to pour $24 billion into a state-of-the-art wafer fab in Singapore over the next decade, targeting a boost in NAND output. It also confirmed a new high-bandwidth memory (HBM) packaging plant in Singapore, set to start operations by 2027; HBM is a faster memory used in AI chips. TrendForce analyst Bryan Ao predicts contract prices for enterprise solid-state drives will surge 55% to 60% as demand outstrips supply. (Reuters)
Insider moves also stood out. Ray Michael Charles, Micron’s chief legal officer, sold 12,268 shares on Jan. 27. The weighted average prices hovered between about $401 and $416. This sale followed a Rule 10b5-1 plan, a pre-set trading strategy. (Securities and Exchange Commission)
That doesn’t guarantee an easy ride. Friday’s sharp moves highlighted how fast money can exit, especially when the broader market punishes stocks that just miss high expectations.
The downside is clear. Memory markets move in cycles, and if big cloud customers cut back or rising chip costs push device makers to scale back memory usage, pricing power could disappear quickly. A supply increase hitting sooner than expected would hit prices just as hard.
Traders are zeroing in on capex talks from top cloud firms, also hunting for fresh signs of contract-price pressure in DRAM and NAND.
The next key date is the U.S. employment report for January, scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 6. According to Nasdaq data, Micron is expected to release its earnings on March 19. (bls.gov)
