日本存储巨头，业绩暴雷

Core Viewpoint - Kioxia's disappointing Q2 results for FY2025 have triggered panic across the storage industry, raising concerns about whether this is an isolated incident or indicative of broader challenges within the sector [1][3]. Financial Performance - Kioxia reported a significant decline in adjusted net profit, down over 60% year-on-year to 40.7 billion yen, falling short of market analysts' expectations of 47.4 billion yen [1]. - Revenue for the quarter decreased by 7% year-on-year to 448.3 billion yen, while operating profit dropped by 48% to 85.9 billion yen [1]. Market Reaction - Following Kioxia's earnings report, shares of major U.S. storage companies experienced declines: Seagate down 7.29%, Western Digital down 5.39%, and Micron Technology down 3.25% [1]. - Kioxia's stock plummeted by 23% in early trading on the Japanese market the day after the earnings announcement [1]. Industry Implications - The unexpected poor performance of Kioxia has led investors in other storage companies to reassess their positions, questioning whether Kioxia's issues are unique or part of a larger industry trend [3]. - Despite the downturn, Kioxia's stock has seen a remarkable increase of 477% year-to-date, even after the recent drop [1]. Reasons for Poor Performance - Analysts attribute Kioxia's disappointing results to a fixed-price agreement with Apple for mobile NAND chips, which prevented the company from benefiting from rising market prices [3]. - Additionally, a shift in product mix, with a significant increase in lower-margin smartphone storage chip sales, has negatively impacted profitability [3][4]. Future Outlook - Kioxia has indicated that demand for its flash products remains strong and plans to adjust its product mix to improve profitability [5]. - The company anticipates record revenue and strong profit recovery in Q4 FY2025, driven by rising average selling prices and robust demand for NAND flash due to AI [5]. - Investors are advised to remain cautious as they await Micron's upcoming earnings report, which will serve as a key indicator for the overall storage industry demand [5].