Traditional DRAM contract prices are forecast to rise 13% to 18% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter of 2026, while NAND flash contract prices are expected to increase 10% to 15%, according to a latest TrendForce report. The report said demand from AI inference systems and hyperscale data centers remains strong, keeping DRAM and NAND supply constrained as memory makers continue shifting capacity toward higher-margin server products, further squeezing consumer memory output.
Nomura Securities said the key issue in the global memory industry remains a severe supply shortage and that AI-driven structural demand growth has not yet peaked, adding that concerns about a supply glut are overstated and that the cycle from semiconductor investment to realized capacity is very long, Jiemian News reported.