Micron stock climbs as Apple feels memory-chip cost pressure from AI boom
According to MarketWatch, AI demand is keeping memory-chip supply short and pushing Micron stock higher. Analysts say demand will outpace supply in the near term despite efforts to add manufacturing capacity. Large buyers including Apple face mounting cost pressure.
Memory chipmaker Micron Technology's shares are pushing near fresh highs as AI data-centre demand drains DRAM and HBM inventories. According to MarketWatch, one analyst said demand will continue to outpace supply in the near term despite efforts to add manufacturing capacity. That implies memory-chip prices will stay elevated through coming quarters.
Large customers, including Apple, face the cost squeeze. According to data reported by BBC Business, Apple's per-unit memory bill in its iPhone supply line is materially higher than a year earlier. The company has told analysts the cost pressure could feed into consumer prices through upcoming product cycles. More broadly, AI-driven memory tightness is creating a structural cost cycle for consumer electronics.
Investors are leaning into SK Hynix and Samsung alongside Micron. Capacity additions take time, and fab lead times mean meaningful new supply will only arrive in mid-2027. While Strait of Hormuz shipping normalisation is helpful for many industries, the memory-chip shortage may persist while AI build-outs continue.
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