SanDisk Plunges 11%, Micron and Western Digital Slide 10% as Korean Market Crash Hits Memory Chips - 24/7 Wall St.

The semiconductor market has recently experienced significant volatility, particularly in the flash memory sector. SanDisk shares plunged 11%, while Micron Technology and Western Digital both dropped ... Read original →

The Korea-driven selloff in memory stocks reveals deeper fragility beneath AI-fueled demand surges. Technically, soaring datacenter requirements for high-bandwidth DRAM and enterprise NAND are pushing process scaling to physical limits, straining equipment lead times and yields—any capex misstep now risks derailing the entire AI hardware deployment stack. On compliance, tightening U.S.-Japan-Netherlands export controls are inflating operational costs for Samsung and SK Hynix’s advanced China fabs, while Micron leverages its ‘trusted supply chain’ status to capture government-related contracts. Strategically, Samsung may flood mature-node capacity to pressure rivals’ cash flow, while Western Digital and Kioxia could accelerate integration to defend NAND pricing power. Over the next 12–24 months, a brutal shakeout looms: inefficient players exit, while leaders lock in long-term deals with hyperscalers. If Micron’s June 24 earnings show slowing datacenter revenue growth, a second wave of valuation correction is likely.