The global memory industry entered a clear upturn in the second half of 2025 as both spot and contract prices rose sharply, lifting earnings across Taiwan's memory supply chain and pushing operating performance to cyclical highs in the fourth quarter.
Surging demand for AI hardware is prompting memory makers to reassess their product portfolios as resources shift toward higher-margin enterprise and data center markets. Following Micron's decision to exit its Crucial consumer business late last year, market speculation has emerged that SK Hynix may also be reviewing its exposure to consumer-grade memory products.
During the CES 2026 technology show, Nvidia executives made an unannounced visit to Samsung Electronics' private semiconductor exhibition space, a move that industry observers interpreted as a possible step toward discussions on the supply of next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4).
