Shares of memory chip makers, including Micron Technology and SanDisk Corp., advanced in premarket trading on Tuesday, amid weeks of volatility driven by profit-taking following lofty valuations, a rotation out of chip stocks, swings in Korean equities and geopolitical concerns stemming from the U.S.-Iran-Israel conflict.
jumped 3.2%, while those of SanDisk and SK Hynix rose 2.5% and 2.2% respectively. TheΒ was trading 2.4% at the time of writing. South Koreaβs benchmark index KOSPI, which is heavily weighted towards Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, closed 1.6% on Tuesday.
Samsung has reclaimed its top spot with a 39% share of DRAM shipments in the second quarter, according to theΒ latest data published by Counterpoint Research.
Micron has πΌπππππππΎπ½ πππ π π¨-πΏππΎπ πΎπ½ ππππΎππππ, πΌπ πππππ ππ ππ SK Hynix πΏππ πππΎ ππΎπΌπππ½ ππππ ππππ πΊ π€π§% πππΊππΎ. π¬πΎπΊπππππ πΎ, π’ππππΊ'π recently listed π’π·π¬π³ πΎππΎπππΎπ½ πΊπ πππΎ πΏπΊπππΎππ-πππππππ π£π±π π¬ πππππ ππΎπ ππ ππ»πΊπ π π, πππππ πππππππ πππ πππΎ πΌππππΎππππππΎ π πΊππ½ππΌπΊππΎ ππ πΎπππΊππ½πππ π»πΎππππ½ πππΎ πππΊπ½ππππππΊπ π‘ππ π³πππΎπΎ, according to the research firm.
Samsung Is Top DRAM Supplier
βSamsung π½πΎπππππππΊππΎπ½ πππΎππππΎπ ππππ π½πππππΊππΌπΎ, πππππππ ππππΎππππ ππ πΌππππΎππππππΊπ π£π±π π¬ πππππ π πΊππ½ ππππΌπππ, ππππ πππ½πΎππππ πππΎ ππΊπ ππππ π°π€ π€π’π€π§βπ ππΊπππΎπ π πΎπΊπ½πΎπ π²πͺ Hππππ,β Counterpoint said in an X post, detailing its findings.
βπΆπΎ πΎπππΎπΌπ ππΎππ-ππ π½πΎππΊππ½ π½ππππΎπ π»π π ππΎππππΌ π π¨ πΊππ½ π π¨ ππΎπππΎπ π’π―π΄ ππππππ ππ π ππΏπ ππππΌπΎπ πΏπππππΎπ πΏππ πΌππππΎππππππΊπ π£π±π π¬. π§π‘π¬ ππππΌπΎπ πππππ π½ ππΎπ»ππππ½ πΊπ ππΎππ-ππΎππΎππΊππππ π§π‘π¬ πΊππ½ π¦π―π΄π πππ π πππ ππ π§π€ π€π’π€π¨, πΎππΎπ πΊπππ½ ππππππ πΌππππΎππππππ.β
DRAM is the standard short-term memory used in PCs and servers, while HBM is a high-performance, stacked version of DRAM designed to feed AI GPUs with much higher bandwidth. Other memory types, such as NAND flash, are used for long-term storage in SSDs and smartphones.
Typically, Samsung leads the DRAM and NAND flash markets, while SK Hynix dominates HBM, with Micron ranking third across all three major memory categories.
Retail View On Memory Stocks
Investors sold off memory stocks at a rapid pace last month, rotating capital back into Big Tech and software stocks.
Micron stockΒ 29% in July, marking its worst monthly performance since June 2005. The sharp pullback β despite an 18.4% rally on July 30 β underscores the marketβs still-fragile sentiment toward chip stocks.
On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment was βbullishβ for MU, βbearishβ for DRAM, βneutralβ for SKHY, and βextremely bullishβ for SNDK.
β$MU Boom! All three DRAM makers have already sold their entire production capacity for 2027! There is going to be a ton of pent up demand for 2028. I can't wait for Micron share buybacks to start in December,β a traderΒ wrote.
Quarterly reports from SanDisk and Western Digital on Aug. 5 will offer more cues for the memory trade. Despite the July selloff,Β Micron shares remain 189% higher year to date.