Micron $MU ( ▼ 2.24% ) just dropped a timeline that memory investors love… and hardware buyers absolutely hate.
According to Taiwanese tech outlet DigiTimes, Micron is warning customers that the current memory chip supply shortage could last until 2028, largely because its Boise, Idaho fab is ramping up slowly.
The AI Boom Is Eating Memory for Breakfast
This shortage isn’t being driven by smartphones or laptops.
It’s being driven by AI data centers, where demand for DRAM and NAND has started to look borderline insatiable. More GPUs equals more memory needed to feed them. And as models get larger and inference becomes constant, that demand doesn’t just spike… it stays elevated.
That’s why this matters: a shortage that lasts through 2028 is basically a multi-year tailwind for pricing.
The Memory Trade Was Already on Fire
This is a huge signal not just for Micron, but for the entire memory + storage complex, including:
Sandisk $SNDK ( ▲ 0.14% )
Seagate Technology Holdings $STX ( ▼ 0.95% )
Western Digital $WDC ( ▲ 0.88% )
These names soared last year as DRAM and NAND pricing surged, sending profit margins sharply higher. And in memory, pricing is everything.
The Real Question Investors Care About
Micron’s warning hits the core question for 2026–2028:
Is this a normal cyclical memory upturn… or a structural AI-driven shortage?
If the crunch really lasts until 2028, then the “profit-palooza” for memory suppliers could last way longer than most cycles typically do.
Bottom line: if Micron is right, the AI buildout isn’t just fueling demand for GPUs. It’s quietly turning memory into one of the tightest bottlenecks in the entire AI supply chain.