Two major pieces of news have emerged in the chip industry!
The first piece of news is about Intel. Related. On Friday local time, chipmaker Intel 's stock price surged 10% on positive news. A well-known technology analyst stated that Apple... The likelihood of Apple becoming a major customer of Intel has "significantly increased," and Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's M-series chip processors.
Another piece of news, related to memory chips Micron Technology According to foreign media reports on the 29th, Micron Technology will invest 1.5 trillion yen (approximately US$9.6 billion) to build a factory in Japan to produce materials for artificial intelligence . Memory chips .
Let's take a look at the detailed report!
Intel receives a major boost
Intel shares surged 10% on Friday, marking the stock's biggest single-day gain since September 18, pushing its market capitalization above $190 billion. Year-to-date, the chipmaker's stock has risen more than 100%.
On Friday, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the likelihood of Apple becoming a new customer for Intel has "significantly increased recently," suggesting that Intel could begin shipping Apple processors as early as 2027. This represents a significant boost for Intel, as the company is poised to regain a crucial chip supply contract after years of losing Apple Mac processor orders.
Ming-Chi Kuo added that for Intel, "winning Apple's advanced node orders is significant far beyond the direct revenue and profit contribution from this business." Kuo pointed out that although Intel will still be unable to secure orders from TSMC for the next few years... This presents direct competition, but it suggests that the "most difficult period" for its contract manufacturing business may be coming to an end. For Apple, this move demonstrates support for the Trump administration's "Made in America" policy while also meeting the need for diversified supply chain management.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple previously signed a non-disclosure agreement with Intel and obtained the PDK 0.9.1GA toolkit for the 18AP advanced process technology, and the project is progressing as expected. Apple is currently awaiting Intel's planned release of PDK 1.0/1.1 in the first quarter of 2026. Apple plans to have Intel begin mass production and shipping of 18AP process products for its lowest-end M-series processors as early as the second or third quarter of 2027, but the final timing depends on the development progress after receiving PDK 1.0/1.1.
It is understood that Apple's standard M-series chips are primarily used in the MacBook Air and iPad Pro, with an expected shipment volume of approximately 20 million units this year. Considering that a MacBook Air equipped with an "iPhone-level chip" will be launched next year, it may divert some orders. Therefore, the shipment volume of the lowest-end M-series chips in 2026 and 2027 is expected to be between 15 million and 20 million units.
Looking ahead, Intel's 14A process and subsequent nodes may secure more orders from Apple and other top-tier customers, potentially reversing its long-term outlook. Intel, under the leadership of its newly appointed CEO Li-Wu Chen (who took office in March), is committed to corporate revitalization and has received support from the U.S. federal government.
It is worth noting that Intel has received substantial investment this year. On August 18, SoftBank Group and Intel announced the signing of a final securities agreement . Purchase Agreement. Under the agreement, SoftBank will subscribe to Intel common stock at $23 per share, for a total investment of $2 billion. On August 22, the U.S. government announced the acquisition of 433.3 million Intel common shares at $20.47 per share, representing a 9.9% stake.
In September, Nvidia Nvidia announced a $5 billion investment in Intel. At the time, Nvidia and Intel announced a partnership, with Nvidia acquiring Intel common stock at $23.28 per share, for a total investment of $5 billion. In a joint statement, the two companies stated they would jointly develop multiple generations of customized data centers. And personal computing products to accelerate the processing of various applications and workloads in hyperscale computing, enterprise and consumer markets.
There are also rumors about Micron Technology .
According to Nikkei, U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology will invest 1.5 trillion yen (approximately US$9.6 billion) to build a factory in western Japan to produce memory chips for artificial intelligence .
According to reports, sources familiar with the matter said the new factory will produce high-bandwidth memory. (HBM) chips. Micron Technology will begin construction of the factory at its existing Hiroshima plant starting next May, with plans to begin HBM shipments around 2028. It is understood that Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will provide subsidies of up to 500 billion yen for the project.
Micron Technology's stock rose 2.7% on Friday, bringing its market capitalization to $265.8 billion. Year-to-date, the company's stock has surged over 180%, making it one of the best-performing artificial intelligence stocks.
On November 24, Morgan Stanley The company reiterated its buy rating on Micron Technology and raised its price target from $325 to $338, while also upgrading its SanDisk rating. The target price was raised from $263 to $273. Analyst Joseph Moore said the memory market is in a "continued positive" state, with the most severe shortage of DDR5 DRAM. "There is a sense of crisis in the market—that no matter how high the price, you can't buy the product."
Morgan Stanley raised its earnings per share forecast for Micron Technology by 15% and for SanDisk by 20%. The bank believes that tighter supply and strong AI-driven demand mean that "multiple upward revisions are likely in the coming quarters."
Recently, investment bank Rosenblatt raised its price target for Micron Technology from $250 to $300 and maintained its buy rating on the stock. Rosenblatt noted that demand for DRAM is growing. However, it expects DRAM supply growth to be constrained until 2026. The research firm pointed out that the increasing demand for DRAM is driven by AI accelerators that require high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and AI models deployed at the network edge (including smartphones and PCs). The research firm observed that DRAM and NAND prices are rising faster than previously anticipated.
Previously, Wells Fargo Wells Fargo has raised its price target for Micron Technology from $220 to $300 and maintained its "Buy" rating. This latest announcement comes after a meeting with CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and Executive Vice President of Global Operations Manish Bhatia. Wells Fargo noted that the meeting reaffirmed its positive view on Micron's strong market position, robust execution, and the overall outlook for the memory industry.
(Source: Securities Times)
