Overview
- Samsung is expected to report about a 160% jump in Q4 operating profit, with analysts citing surging memory prices as the key driver, according to LSEG SmartEstimate reported by Reuters.
- Suppliers are prioritizing AI-grade memory, with reports out of Korea indicating proposed 60%–70% quarter-over-quarter increases for server DRAM in Q1 as TrendForce tracks 55%–60% jumps in conventional DRAM contracts and a 314% year-over-year spike for some DDR5 in Q4.
- Samsung executives called the shortage unprecedented and signaled that consumer product repricing may be unavoidable as costs rise across smartphones, PCs, TVs, and appliances.
- Large buyers are locking supply, with DIGITIMES reporting Apple has secured NAND through early 2026 while facing DRAM contract negotiations that may require sequential price increases of more than 50%, and local media describing procurement teams stationed in South Korea.
- Memory and storage equities rallied after Nvidia’s CEO said storage is a “completely unserved” market, while market researchers and banks warned tightness could persist into 2027 and lift device prices roughly 5%–20% in 2026.