Techquity
Technology Investor, Fundamental Research
Micron is the better memory buy here because Korean stocks have traded poorly and SK hynix's US ADR carries a massive premium over its Korean listing. SK hynix remains the preferred company; HBM is favored over NAND, making Micron and SK hynix preferable to SanDisk. Memory stocks look cheap, with very attractive risk/reward at these levels, and are unlikely to stay cheap for long. x.comÂ
SK hynix's surging earnings challenge the idea that commodity memory profits are about to vanish. The attached report says third-quarter operating profit rose more than sevenfold and its operating margin reached 80%; analysts quoted there expect the earnings climb to continue at least through next year. Micron and Samsung are named alongside SK hynix. x.comÂ
Micron is the better company than SK hynix because its growth guidance and margins are stronger, though SK hynix is still a great company with further growth ahead. Micron's revenue grew 379% year over year versus SK hynix's 328%; its latest-quarter annualized GAAP P/E is about 7 versus 9 for SK hynix, or 6.5 for SK hynix after adjusting for currency and Kioxia charges. SK hynix's employee profit sharing weighs on its margins. x.com x.com x.com x.comÂ
SK hynix's exceptional margins and contracted capacity underpin a bullish outlook despite shares sitting around half their June high. Q3 operating margin reached 80%, up from 47% a year ago; long-term deals with 14 customers cover over half of 2027-28 capacity, and management expects demand to exceed supply through 2030. x.comÂ
Micron, Samsung Electronics and SK hynix look very cheap if their long-term agreements do not impose overly conservative price ceilings. Greater clarity on those pricing terms could send memory stocks up 30% in a single day. x.comÂ
Micron's cheaper forward valuation, stronger revenue growth and higher five-year ROIC make it the better buy than Sandisk, alongside its exposure to AI-driven HBM demand. Per StockAnalysis, Micron's revenue growth is 256% versus 175%, forward P/E is 5.12 versus 5.84, and five-year ROIC is 27.24% versus 21.47%. Sandisk leads on projected EPS growth, at 23.96% versus Micron's 17.16%. x.com x.com x.comÂ
SK hynix and Samsung preferred remain bullish memory bets because the Korean names have a faster payback than Micron. The comparison is 3-4 years versus roughly eight for Micron, though Micron seems to be working fine. AI-trade tail risk could still cause steep losses in these names, as can happen even with low-P/E stocks. 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
HBM advances are creating strong, durable moats and long-term pricing power for Micron and SK hynix. x.comÂ
SK hynix's exceptional results point to spillover across the memory market as the supply imbalance persists. Its Q3 operating margin reached 80%, the current-quarter gross-margin estimate rose to 85.7% from 85.2%, and it has 14 long-term agreements. According to SK hynix's press release, the memory imbalance continues through 2030. x.comÂ