On a product basis DRAM revenue was up 14% Q/Q and 76% Y/Y. ASP and gigabits sold increased Y/Y in the low 40% range, and low 20% range, respectively; they also grew sequentially. Trade NAND revenue was up 28% Y/Y, but fell 3% sequentially. ASP decreased Y/Y in the high single digits while gigabits sold increased in the low 40% range. ASP also fell sequentially in the mid-teens range. According to management, the ASP decline was caused by a mix shift in the company’s SBU NAND components. This could be a trend to watch going forward.
Micron Is Sitting In The Catbird Seat
The importance of the cloud and gaming segments is creating explosive demand for memory and storage capacity. The secular shift from the previous PC-based market to the current dealer market is amplifying that demand. Micron is poised to exploit this secular shift. According management, memory is also making possible applications like artificial intelligence and virtual reality:
This market now supports a healthy demand environment with several secular demand drivers that I have discussed earlier. More specifically, memory is making possible applications such as AI and VR, and enabling new cloud-based business models which deliver a fundamental value far in excess of a price per bit.
Management estimates DRAM bit growth in the 20% range in calendar year 2018. NAND bit growth could exceed 40%, driven by the transition to 64-layer 3D NAND. The NAND bit growth is predicated on an increase in supply to meet customer demand.
