Zhi Tong Cai Jing·2026-01-12 00:44Group 1: Market Overview - The CES 2023 highlighted significant developments from major companies like Dell, Intel, Nvidia, and AMD, with a notable surge in demand for artificial intelligence leading to severe shortages in memory and storage, potentially impacting the market through 2026 [1] - Wedbush Securities analyst Matt Bryson noted that many DRAM contract prices for Q1 are yet to be finalized, but suppliers expect growth of 50% or more [1] - The demand from hyperscale cloud service providers is absorbing all new market capacity, leading to significant price increases in the secondary market [1] Group 2: Beneficiaries of DRAM Price Increase - Companies likely to benefit from the substantial rise in DRAM prices include Micron and SanDisk, with SanDisk expected to outperform the industry due to a low comparative base after being removed from Apple's supply chain [2] - Other potential beneficiaries mentioned are Pure Storage and Silicon Motion [3] Group 3: Impact on Nvidia - Nvidia's significant size means its actions will greatly affect the semiconductor industry; it may benefit from tight memory supply but could also exacerbate pressure on memory space [4] - The introduction of Nvidia's new storage layer via BlueField-4 is projected to increase overall storage demand by over 40% for AI workloads [4] Group 4: HDD Demand - The demand for hard disk drives (HDD) from companies like Western Digital and Seagate is described as "strong," with a significant gap between supply and orders that may widen throughout the year and persist until 2027 [5] - Price trends for HDDs are expected to rise as cloud service providers face emerging shortages [5] Group 5: Impact on Intel and AMD - Rising memory and storage prices are benefiting some companies but negatively impacting demand, with PC and mobile manufacturers reducing production expectations, leading to a forecasted low single-digit decline in these markets [6] - As major PC-centric semiconductor companies, Intel and AMD are particularly vulnerable to demand declines, with Intel facing rising memory costs as a warning signal [7] - Any reduction in PC manufacturing is a significant concern for Intel, affecting shipment volumes and pricing in a segment that constitutes about 60% of its sales [8] - AMD's situation is more complex, as the focus is on its AI accelerator product line; however, a decline in PC demand due to rising memory prices poses risks [8]