Markos
Founder of Asset Alliance Investment Group
Micron and SK hynix face more memory demand than sell-side shortage estimates show because those estimates use configurations customers have already reduced to fit supply. Dan Ives cited 13 requests per unit of memory capacity; after removing double-counted orders and destroyed demand, the estimate is closer to 8-10 to 1. Configuration changes, KV-cache offloading and deferred developments hide demand for customers' preferred HBM designs. x.com
Micron, SK hynix and Samsung's earnings look more durable than the market thinks, as memory demand broadens beyond data centers while supply stays tight. Micron guided an 86.25% gross margin; its CFO said even floor prices leave margins above any prior cycle peak. Clients extended supply deals into 2031. Physical and ambient AI, like Nvidia's NoTraffic signals, need memory too; power shortages extend the buildout. 2027-2030 should be tighter than 2026; 86% margins won't last, but above 75% can. x.com x.com
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.com
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.com
SK hynix and other Korean memory makers' aggressive price hikes invite customers to optimize memory use, undermining the case for 90% margins despite a long-term shortage. Memory is the only layer raising cost per token. Elon Musk described Micron's future pricing as reasonable and other suppliers' as extortionate, warning that today's customers would not forget; exorbitant long-term contracts compound that risk. x.com x.com
Memory remains structurally scarce because SK hynix says conventional DRAM and HBM are practically sold out through 2029, while customers request roughly twice the HBM volume it can produce. Long-term agreements cover more than half of 2027 and 2028 capacity, and the company expects the supply-demand imbalance to persist through 2030. x.com x.com
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.com
Memory makers' long-term agreements cannot protect pricing when buyers regain leverage. The market underestimates downside even before a price collapse; SK hynix's agreements price within market-linked ranges, per @jukan05. The agreements will be ripped apart when the market turns to buyers, at the latest when China ramps. SK hynix, Samsung, Micron, SanDisk and Kioxia are exposed. x.com
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
Shorter HBM stacks are not reducing demand for SK hynix's HBM, because customers are redesigning AI accelerators around limited supply. On its call, management said lower stacks let customers build more accelerators; supplying the same bit volume then requires more packages, base dies and back-end processing. Denser dies can offset some lost layers, and SK hynix says customer volume requests exceed twice its current supply. x.com
Inflation, rising rates, Chinese competition and rising AI-related financial costs are pressuring the memory market. Micron, Samsung and SK hynix look exposed; waiting for the cycle to turn. x.com x.com
Micron's HBM and server-memory scarcity is backed by customer commitments beyond its earlier sold-out 2026 capacity. Per management and sell-side reports, more than about 75% of fiscal 2027 shipments are allocated or contracted, supply may not rebalance through 2028, and 2027 HBM prices have risen significantly. Strategic agreements extend through 2030; a later supply glut or faster Chinese competition could erode margins. x.com
