Damnang
Semiconductor Engineer in Silicon Valley, AI Chip Investment Research
The DRAM memory chip ETF offers early exposure to SK Hynix before its Nasdaq listing, because roughly 30% of the fund is SK Hynix. Per Kalshi, SK Hynix is set to list on the Nasdaq this Friday, and Leopold Aschenbrenner's fund has shown interest in buying the IPO shares; he has a record of spotting trends early, including SanDisk, Bloom Energy and IREN in 2025. x.com x.comÂ
The DRAM ETF looks better than SK hynix's ADR, which trades at a 23% premium to its Korean-listed shares. That premium should shrink further after July 29, when Korea enables two-way exchange between common shares and ADRs and lists the ADRs locally, making the Korea ETF or DRAM the smarter buy. x.comÂ
SK hynix's new direct US listing is a small disadvantage for the Roundhill Memory ETF, which investors had bought partly to own SK hynix indirectly. Owning memory companies directly is preferable to the ETF. x.comÂ
SK hynix's strong pricing and secured capacity could push memory stocks higher. Per Wall St Engine, its Q3 DRAM ASP rose by a high-20s percentage quarter over quarter, while long-term agreements cover more than half of its 2027-28 capacity. Those figures support the memory upcycle. x.comÂ
SK hynix's enforceable long-term supply commitments add visibility to memory profits. It says DRAM and HBM volumes through 2029 are effectively sold out, with agreements covering over half of 2027-28 capacity while retaining pricing flexibility. Operating profit beat expectations at $62.8B versus about $58B, and SK hynix announced $75B in 2026 shareholder returns. It expects the memory shortage to persist through 2030. x.comÂ
The Roundhill Memory ETF is hard to justify because 75% of its holdings sit in just three stocks, so investors pay a fee for little diversification. x.comÂ
SK hynix's stronger pricing and contracted demand support the still-favored memory duration trade. DRAM and HBM capacity is sold out through 2029, and a supply-demand imbalance is expected through 2030. More than half of 2027-28 capacity is under long-term agreements, with agreed 2027 HBM prices significantly higher year on year. Guangfa HK expects fund flows and bearish sentiment to improve after earnings. x.comÂ
The Roundhill Memory ETF is the more fitting way to take a pure bet on the memory cycle. About three-quarters of it sits in Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron, making it a direct vehicle for memory chips and an attractive alternative for overseas retail investors barred from buying Samsung and SK Hynix directly. A Korea ETF also holds both but carries sizable stakes in other companies such as Hyundai Motor. x.comÂ
The memory ETF is not worth buying yet, because it is essentially just the KOSPI plus Micron and more forced selling is likely in Korea. x.comÂ
The Roundhill Memory ETF is a genuinely great way to get memory exposure, especially without access to foreign stocks. It concentrates on the three leaders, Micron at 24.6%, Samsung at 24.1% and SK Hynix at 23.1%, plus SanDisk, Kioxia, Western Digital, Nanya and Winbond. x.comÂ