Micron Technology (MU) surged 16% after blowout earnings and strong guidance

Computer memory chipmaker Micron Technology (MU) delivered blowout Q3 earnings on Wednesday, lifting the entire AI memory sector, AI-related stocks and even giving crypto a slight boost.

Bitcoin BTC$61,665.27 climbed back above $60,000 after markets closed, but bullish AI sentiment will ultimately pull more liquidity away from crypto.

Micron shares surged 16% in premarket trading on Thursday after the memory chipmaker’s third quarter guidance exceeded Wall Street expectations. Third-quarter revenue came in at $41.5 billion versus estimates of $35.7 billion, while earnings per share (EPS) reached $25.11 compared with expectations of $20.49.

Memory chips have become the backbone of AI infrastructure, particularly high-bandwidth memory (HBM), which is essential for training and running large AI models. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra told analysts there was “no line of sight” to when supply would catch up with demand, with the shortage expected to persist well beyond 2027.

The company also issued strong fourth quarter guidance, forecasting revenue of approximately $50 billion, well ahead of Wall Street expectations of $43.2 billion.

The AI boom has weighed heavily on the crypto market this year, with bitcoin now more than 50% below its October all-time high, trading at the $60,000 level.