Samsung May Raise Q3 DRAM Prices by 20%

According to industry sources, Samsung Electronics is negotiating with customers to raise the average selling price (ASP) of its DRAM products by as much as 20% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the previous quarter. The planned increase reflects persistent supply constraints across the memory market, driven by continued investment in artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure. Industry observers believe the move is part of memory manufacturers' broader strategy to sustain strong profitability, with elevated margins expected to continue into next year despite a slower pace of price increases.

Global investment in AI infrastructure by major technology companies has significantly boosted demand for DRAM, resulting in widespread supply shortages. The tight market extends beyond server DRAM and High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) to include Low Power DRAM (LPDDR), which is becoming increasingly important for AI inference applications as well as mobile devices.

Among leading memory manufacturers, Samsung is expected to post stronger DRAM price growth than SK hynix. Industry analysts attribute this difference to Samsung's larger exposure to commodity DRAM, where pricing fluctuations are more pronounced, and to the company's more aggressive pricing strategy.

Samsung reportedly increased its first-quarter DRAM ASP by approximately 90% compared with the previous quarter. The company is expected to achieve another 50% to 60% increase in the second quarter, followed by an additional rise of around 20% in the third quarter. By comparison, SK hynix, which allocates a larger share of its production capacity to HBM, is expected to record more moderate price increases.

A semiconductor industry source stated that Samsung remains highly proactive in its third-quarter pricing negotiations. The company is reportedly seeking to increase LPDDR prices by more than 20%, citing severe supply bottlenecks affecting both the server and mobile markets. However, it remains uncertain whether customers will fully accept the proposed price adjustments.

Looking ahead, DRAM prices are expected to remain relatively stable. Although the pace of price growth is gradually slowing, the proportion of long-term agreements (LTAs) signed with major customers continues to increase, providing greater pricing stability for the industry.

Industry analysts also believe that Meta's potential expansion into cloud computing is unlikely to weaken memory demand. Instead, the company's efforts to monetize surplus internal computing capacity are viewed as evidence that it has established sufficient AI computing resources rather than reducing future infrastructure investment.

Meta has continued to expand its AI spending, increasing its annual AI infrastructure investment plan from US$115–135 billion to US$125–145 billion last year. Industry experts expect the DRAM market to remain resilient into 2027, supported by higher pricing floors in long-term agreements and ongoing HBM price renegotiations. They also view Meta's strategy as an initiative to improve the utilization of its existing computing resources rather than a sign of declining AI investment.