According to a Tuesday report from a tech media outlet, the memory chip supply crunch is expected to persist through 2027, with industry sources revealing that the three major memory manufacturers have largely concluded negotiations for next year's capacity allocation. In simple terms, the projected memory supply from Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., SK hynix, and Micron Technology for 2027 has been fully sold out, with no new capacity expansion plans in sight.

The report states that the three major suppliers have allocated all of their DRAM and HBM capacity for 2027. Customers ultimately received allocations amounting to only 60% to 70% of their initial requests. Industry insiders point out that 2027 will mark the most severe phase of the memory shortage. While allocation volumes have largely been finalized, the final pricing for shipments will be determined closer to the delivery date.

In terms of market share, Counterpoint Research's global memory tracking data shows that Samsung held a 39% DRAM market share in the second quarter, ranking first. SK hynix secured second place with 26%, though this represents a significant decline from 39% in the same period last year. Micron followed closely with 25%. Chinese memory chip manufacturer CXMT has recently gone public and garnered investor interest, competing directly with Micron, Samsung, and SK hynix. Last month, reports indicated that Apple has begun testing CXMT's DRAM chips. Additionally, recent reports suggest that major PC manufacturers have started sourcing CXMT's DRAM chips for some laptop models to address the ongoing memory shortage.

To tackle the supply tightness, major memory chip makers are actively expanding production: Samsung plans to boost capacity by 50%, SK hynix is significantly increasing capital expenditure, advancing a $26.5 billion IPO, and investing over $880 billion in South Korea's domestic industry, while Micron has committed to spending $250 billion in the U.S. by 2035. However, memory chip stocks experienced a collective downturn last month, partly due to market concerns that the industry's massive production expansion could eventually lead to oversupply, putting pressure on prices. This concern peaked in July, pushing the hottest trading theme for 2026 into a technical bear market. Black Monday on July 28 served as a flashpoint, with South Korea's KOSPI index plunging over 10% in a single day, while SK hynix and Samsung Electronics each fell more than 13%. This selling wave was not driven by fundamental deterioration; on the contrary, the three memory manufacturers reported record-high earnings. The market's worry lies in the overly aggressive expansion plans of the giants. Samsung plans to expand capacity by 50%; SK hynix announced an investment of approximately 600 trillion won in the Yongin semiconductor cluster to expand DRAM capacity, accelerating the originally planned 2045 completion date by 12 years; and Micron's capital expenditure for fiscal 2026 is expected to be around $27 billion, with each quarter in fiscal 2027 exceeding $10 billion. Morningstar analysts warn that it takes 2 to 3 years for new wafer fab capacity to come online, and when peak output meets a slowdown in demand, there is a significant risk of oversupply.