The Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) surged 5.10% in after-hours trading on Thursday, extending a powerful rally in the memory chip sector. The move came as investors reacted to blowout quarterly results from Samsung Electronics and fresh forecasts of a prolonged supply crunch for DRAM chips.
Samsung Electronics reported its second-quarter earnings, with revenue climbing 130% year-over-year and operating profit surging more than 1,800%, driven by robust AI-related demand for memory chips. The company projected that the global memory chip shortage will persist until 2028 and announced plans to lock in 60% to 70% of its total DRAM and NAND production capacity through long-term contracts. This outlook was reinforced by TrendForce, which noted that high-bandwidth memory production is crowding out capacity for conventional DRAM, keeping supply tight through 2027.
Positive analyst calls also boosted sentiment. UBS initiated coverage on SK Hynix with a Buy rating, citing AI-driven structural improvements in the memory industry, while Citi argued that Chinese memory makers pose limited near-term threats. The sector-wide rally helped memory stocks claw back losses from a sharp selloff in the previous session.