Jukan
Semiconductor & AI Infrastructure Research at Citrini
Nanya Technology is the legacy DRAM maker most exposed as GigaDevice teams with CXMT to mass-produce legacy DRAM. The partnership combines CXMT's production capacity with GigaDevice's distribution, aiming to scale the DRAM business to about $800 million through nearly 1 trillion won of related-party deals. The move should not affect SK hynix or Micron. x.com x.comÂ
Micron's bet on 3D DRAM over rivals' 4F2 could give it an edge as AI memory demand rises. Micron expects shortages for at least two more years: HBM per GPU rose 3.6x from H100 to B300, inference memory per server doubled in three years, and agent context grows about 30x annually. It plans further 6F2 nodes, 1-delta DRAM in 2H27 and 400-plus-layer G11 NAND in 2027; processor-stacked vHBM is targeted around 2028. If Micron is right, rivals are spending on the wrong path. Overweight Micron. x.comÂ
Prepaid contracts and demand-paced fabs weaken a broad 2028 memory-glut case. SK hynix says over half its 2027-28 capacity is signed with deposits; 'sold out through 2029' includes negotiations. Samsung targets 60-70% contracted capacity. Micron's three projects begin output in 2H28; tooling follows demand. Reuters says CXMT's 20-30%-yield HBM3E may ship this year to export-restricted Chinese buyers, but performs like older HBM3. Commodity DRAM risks 2028-29 oversupply; NAND could ease in 2H27. … Show more
Tight legacy DRAM capacity is lifting Nanya's revenue through pricing even as bit shipments fall. Q3 revenue rose 60% q/q to $4.18B, 4.9x the prior-cycle peak, and gross margin reached 85.7%; ASPs rose over 60% q/q while bits fell mid-single digits. Long-term agreements cover 50-70% of output, with over 20% on three-year terms. Bits will stay flat for several quarters until Fab 5A starts output in Q4 2027. x.com x.comÂ
Micron and SK hynix pricing in a memory shortage past 2030 extends the memory-cycle case beyond the Street's 2028 expectation. SK hynix's record quarter adds evidence: per Wall St Engine, revenue rose 328% to $78.9B, operating profit rose 632% to $62.8B, and operating margin hit 80%. Agentic and physical AI could add demand as they roll out. x.com x.comÂ
Hynix's sold-out memory supply supports expectations for big numbers from Micron, still trading at 5x forward earnings. Hynix says its HBM and DRAM chips are sold out until 2029 and a chip shortage is likely to continue into 2030. Big numbers and capital return are expected after Micron reports in December. x.comÂ
Micron and SanDisk are a skip: DDR4 prices rising 50% quarter on quarter is already consensus, and both stocks have run on it. The surprise sits in legacy DRAM makers Nanya and Winbond, which are hard to access. The more promising gap is on the optical receive side, in photodiodes, InP substrates and germanium supply, rather than in crowded EMLs and switch optics. x.comÂ
SK hynix's sold-out memory capacity bodes well for Micron because it sells into the same shortage. SK hynix says its DRAM and HBM are effectively sold out through 2029; deals with 14 customers cover more than half its 2027-28 capacity, and HBM demand is twice what it can make. x.comÂ
Micron's ordinary memory could see tighter supply because HBM consumes far more factory capacity than conventional DRAM. Meeting AI demand could thus extend Micron's opportunity beyond AI memory. x.comÂ
Rising memory contract prices strengthen the case for memory stocks still far below their highs. JPMorgan forecasts Q4 DRAM prices up 13% and NAND up 18%; Micron is 28% below its 52-week high, Seagate 44%, Sandisk 47% and Western Digital 55%. x.comÂ
A worsening memory shortage in 2027 could favor Micron, SanDisk and SK hynix as AI stocks. Samsung warns that the shortage will worsen then. x.comÂ