Micron Technology(US:MU) 智通财经网·2026-01-16 02:30Core Viewpoint - The unprecedented global wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to drive a significant increase in chip demand, particularly for AI chips and storage chips, over the next decade, making storage chip stocks a highly attractive investment opportunity [1][3]. Group 1: Market Trends - The Korean stock market, driven by major storage chip manufacturers SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, is projected to surge by 76% in 2025, marking it as one of the most dynamic markets globally [2]. - Micron Technology's stock is expected to rise by 240% in 2025, with a strong 18% increase already noted in 2026 [2]. - The demand for DRAM/NAND storage chips is experiencing robust growth, with prices for products like DDR4/DDR5 and enterprise SSDs showing significant increases due to the rising importance of storage chips in AI training and inference systems [2][11]. Group 2: Company Performance - TSMC reported a record gross margin exceeding 60% in Q4, with a projected revenue growth rate of nearly 30% for 2026, significantly surpassing market expectations [3]. - ClearBridge Investments' emerging market fund manager, Divya Mathur, has seen performance exceed 97% of peers, heavily investing in Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which are expected to see their stock prices double and quadruple, respectively, by 2025 [3][4]. - The stock prices of Western Digital, Seagate, and SanDisk have also shown remarkable growth, with all three companies experiencing over 200% price increases in 2025 [12]. Group 3: Future Projections - Analysts predict that the "storage chip supercycle" will last at least until 2027, with meaningful supply increases not expected until early 2028 [13][14]. - Citigroup analysts have raised their price forecasts for DRAM and NAND chips significantly, anticipating an 88% increase in DRAM prices and a 74% increase in NAND prices in 2026 [15]. - The ongoing construction of large AI data centers is expected to create a strong demand for storage components, which is currently outpacing supply, benefiting companies like Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix [11].