Ahead of Micron's earnings report, how much longer can the AI storage market sustain?

In recent days, one of the most watched events in the U.S. stock market is not the release of a large AI model, nor a new tech product, but the upcoming earnings report from storage chip giant Micron.

The reason is simple: Micron is no longer just a traditional storage company; it is becoming an important indicator of the health of AI infrastructure. Wall Street generally believes that Micron’s earnings report not only reflects the company's own performance but also impacts the growth prospects of the entire AI storage industry in the coming years.

The market’s focus mainly centers on three questions: Is the demand for HBM still strong? Will AI data center construction slow down? And can Micron’s profitability continue to improve? The answers to these questions could likely influence the future trend of the entire semiconductor sector.

It’s worth noting that ahead of the earnings release, chip stocks have experienced significant volatility recently. Micron’s stock once dropped over 13% in a single day, while SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics also adjusted accordingly, further fueling discussions about the future of AI storage market trends.

Why Does AI Boom Benefit Storage First?

Many people associate AI primarily with GPUs. But in reality, running a large AI model requires not only powerful computing capabilities but also extremely high data throughput speeds. As model parameters grow larger and training data increases, GPUs need to constantly read and exchange vast amounts of data, which is where storage chips come into play.

Especially with HBM (High Bandwidth Memory), which has become a crucial component of current AI servers. Simply put, GPUs are like the brain, and HBM functions as a high-speed memory system. Without HBM, even the most powerful AI chips cannot operate efficiently. This is why, over the past year, HBM has become one of the fastest-growing areas in the global semiconductor industry.

Micron states that its HBM capacity for 2026 is already fully booked, and demand for next-generation products like HBM4 remains strong. Meanwhile, AI data center construction continues to expand, with no obvious signs of storage demand slowing down.

Wall Street generally believes that AI is creating a new storage cycle, and Micron happens to be at the center of this cycle.

Why Is SK Hynix Surpassing Samsung, and Why Is the Market So Excited?

If Micron is an important window into the U.S. AI storage market, then SK Hynix is the main player in the Korean market. Recently, SK Hynix’s market capitalization officially surpassed Samsung Electronics, making it one of Korea’s most valuable listed companies. This change has shaken the entire Asian capital market.

The reason isn’t that Samsung has weakened, but that SK Hynix has taken a leading position in HBM. In the AI era, GPU performance continues to improve, and the demand for high-bandwidth storage has grown accordingly. SK Hynix was among the first to deploy HBM and has become a key supplier for AI companies like NVIDIA, which has led to a higher valuation from the market. As AI infrastructure continues to expand, investors are beginning to believe that storage’s importance may be on par with GPUs themselves.

From an investment perspective, this shift also indicates that the market is moving from focusing on a single star company to paying more attention to the entire industry chain. In the past, AI concepts were mostly centered on models and applications; now, chips, storage, servers, and data centers are becoming new growth drivers.

The rise of SK Hynix is one of the most representative cases of this change.

How Long Can the AI Storage Boom Last?

This is currently the most discussed question in the market. Supporters believe that the AI industry is still in its early stages. As companies continue to build data centers, and applications like AI agents and robots develop, the demand for storage chips will keep growing. Companies like Micron and SK Hynix still have opportunities to benefit in the coming years.

However, concerns are also valid. Recently, chip stocks have experienced adjustments, and some investors worry that increased supply of HBM could impact storage prices. Additionally, AI infrastructure construction requires huge capital investments, and if tech companies reduce capital expenditure in the future, related industry chain companies might face slower growth.

But in the long term, the market’s consensus is that: AI applications will evolve, models will be continuously updated, but the demand for computing, storage, and data centers will persist over the long run.

In other words, the AI storage sector may not always experience explosive growth, but it is likely to become one of the most important infrastructures in the AI era.

From U.S. Stocks to Korean Stocks, AI Storage Is Becoming a Global Investment Hotspot

As the AI storage industry develops rapidly, the markets attracting investor attention are also expanding.

In the U.S., there are Micron and NVIDIA; in Korea, SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics; and in Hong Kong, more and more AI, chip, and advanced manufacturing companies are emerging.

Different markets are participating in this AI infrastructure revolution from various angles. For investors, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to cover all opportunities by focusing on a single market, and cross-market investing is becoming a popular choice.

Gate Stock Trading: 24/7 Focus on Hot AI Storage Companies

As Micron’s earnings report approaches and AI storage continues to attract attention, more investors want to monitor related opportunities across the U.S., Korea, and Hong Kong markets simultaneously.

Recently, Gate has upgraded its trading experience. In addition to pre-market, intraday, and after-hours trading, it now supports overnight and weekend trading, enabling 24/7 trading of U.S., Hong Kong, and Korean stocks. This allows users to follow global hot stocks more flexibly.

Additionally, users can trade stocks using USDT, eliminating the need for complex currency exchanges—one account can access popular companies across different markets.

Key Stocks in the AI Storage Industry Chain

| Market | Popular Stocks | Stock Code | Key Logic | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | U.S. | Micron | MU | HBM, AI storage | | U.S. | NVIDIA | NVDA | AI chips | | Korea | SK Hynix | 660 | HBM leader | | Korea | Samsung Electronics | 5930 | Storage chips | | Hong Kong | AI and chip-related companies | - | AI infrastructure |

As AI enters a new development phase, the market’s focus is shifting from “who has the hottest concept” to “who controls the most critical infrastructure.”

Micron’s earnings report may be an important window into whether this round of AI storage market growth can continue.

FAQs

Why is Micron’s earnings report so important?

Because Micron is a major global storage chip company, and its earnings are seen as a key indicator of AI storage demand and data center investment.

Why is HBM so important?

HBM is a crucial supporting storage technology for AI chips, providing higher data transfer speeds and serving as an essential infrastructure for training and inference of large models.

Why did SK Hynix surpass Samsung?

Mainly due to growth in HBM business and the explosion in AI data center demand, leading the market to assign it a higher valuation.

Will the AI storage boom end?

Short-term fluctuations are possible, but long-term outlook remains optimistic, as AI’s demand for storage and data centers is widely supported by the market.

What markets does Gate support for stock trading now?

Gate now supports trading in U.S., Hong Kong, and Korean stocks, with an upgraded 24/7 trading mode.