Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) shares declined 2% on Monday after reports indicated that Samsung Electronics (KS:005930) is nearing certification from Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) for its next-generation high-bandwidth memory chip, potentially positioning it as the first supplier to bring HBM4 to market.
According to Bloomberg, Samsung has reached the final stage of Nvidia’s qualification process after delivering initial HBM4 samples last September. The company is said to be gearing up for mass production as early as February and could begin shipments shortly thereafter, although an exact timeline has not been confirmed. Samsung’s shares rose by as much as 3% in Seoul before paring gains, while competitor SK Hynix saw its stock move lower.
The progress signals that Samsung may strengthen its position in the high-bandwidth memory space, a segment currently led by SK Hynix, and could reshape competitive dynamics for suppliers like Micron in the fast-growing AI accelerator market.
However, Mizuho TMT analyst Jordan Klein cautioned against viewing the development as a setback for other memory makers. “My point is that selling HBM4 to NVDA or AMD is NOT A ZERO SUM GAME. Demand exceeds supply. Pricing is set to be a lot higher in HBM4 vs HBM3e. All three memory suppliers will qualify and ship HBM4 to NVDA this yr,” Klein said.
Klein also noted that Nvidia’s upcoming Rubin server platform remains on schedule, with initial shipments expected around mid-year and volumes ramping up in the third and fourth quarters.
High-bandwidth memory has become a critical component in advanced computing systems, with surging demand from artificial intelligence workloads continuing to drive investment and competition across the sector.