Samsung Electronics, the world’s leading memory‑chip manufacturer, raised the prices of certain memory chips this month by up to 60 % compared with September, according to two individuals familiar with the matter.
These particular chips are in short supply as the global race to construct AI data centres fuels demand.
Its shares — along with those of SK Hynix and U.S. chip‑makers — surged sharply, reflecting the market’s recognition of how the artificial‑intelligence boom is driving extreme demand for modules designed for AI workloads as well as memory chips that feed those units.
The price increase comes after Samsung opted to postpone its usual monthly announcement of contract‑supply pricing in October, the sources say. Typically the company publishes these details each month.
The surge in memory‑chip prices — primarily in server applications — is likely to raise costs for major firms expanding their data‑infrastructure build‑out. It also threatens to push up the prices of consumer devices like smartphones and PCs that incorporate the same memory technology.
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“Extreme prices being paid”
Industry executives are feeling the pressure. “Many of the largest server makers and data‑centre builders are now accepting that they won’t get nearly enough product.
The price premiums being paid are extreme,” said Tobey Gonnerman, president of the semiconductor distributor Fusion Worldwide.
He added that Samsung’s contract price for a 32‑gigabyte DDR5 memory‑module rose to US$239 in November, up from US$149 in September.
Following Reuters’ initial disclosure, shares of U.S. chip‑makers responded positively — for instance, Micron Technology jumped 4 %. On Monday, Samsung’s stock gained roughly 3 %, while SK Hynix spiked about 6 %.
The three companies were recovering after recent declines tied to concerns over high AI valuations. DDR memory chips are used in servers, PCs and other devices to store data temporarily and facilitate fast data transfers and retrievals.
Samsung also increased prices of 16 GB DDR5 and 128 GB DDR5 chips by approximately 50 %, bringing them to about US$135 and US$1,194 respectively. The cost of 64 GB and 96 GB DDR5 units rose by more than 30 %, Gonnerman stated.
A second source, who spoke off the record, verified the hikes and attributed the information to Samsung’s internal briefings.
Samsung declined to comment publicly. At the same time, it announced that it will build a new chip‑production line in South Korea, anticipating that AI‑driven demand will grow over both the mid and long term.
The shortage of memory chips has become so acute that some customers are engaging in panic buying, according to industry analysts.
SMIC, China’s leading contract chip‑maker, announced last Friday that the memory shortfall has caused its clients to defer orders for other kinds of chips used in their products.
Meanwhile Xiaomi — a Chinese company active in smartphones, electronics and cars — warned last month that the surging memory‑costs have increased phone manufacturing expenses.
However, the shortage represents an advantage for Samsung, which has lagged in offering advanced AI‑chips and until recently had not seen a major profit boost.
Advantage for Samsung’s positioning
Because Samsung’s transition into AI‑chip production has been slower than competitors, it apparently enjoys stronger pricing power compared to smaller memory‑chip rivals such as SK Hynix and Micron, according to Jeff Kim, head of research at KB Securities.
Analyst Ellie Wang of TrendForce projected that Samsung is likely to raise quarterly contract‑pricing by 40 % to 50 % in the October–December period — above the roughly 30 % increase anticipated across the broader industry.
“They are really confident that the price is going to increase.
And the main reason is that now the demand is really strong, and everyone is working on long‑term agreements with the suppliers,” she said, adding that these contracts cover either 2026 alone or both 2026 and 2027 combined.
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