By Nigam Arora & Dr. Natasha Arora
Note: Signal(s) to enter, add, reduce, exit, hold or change.
Driven by artificial intelligence, Micron (MU) presents an opportunity for investors, but be careful. Micron is one of the three largest manufacturers of semiconductor memory in the world.
542% Gain
MU is long from $21.77. It is trading at $139.86 as of this writing. Long time members of The Arora Report have a gain of 542%. Along the way, there have been opportunities for newer members of The Arora Report. This post will address both investors who do not own MU but want to own MU as well as investors who own MU.
To gain an edge, investors should do a 360 degree analysis that synergistically combines fundamental analysis, technical analysis, macro analysis, and quantitative analysis.
The Chart
Please click here for an annotated chart of MU.
- The chart shows a gap up after earnings release last quarter. Bulls are expecting a similar gap up this time. However, prudent investors know that earnings is a risk event and the results can go either way. Consider starting with Arora Second Law of Investing and Trading, which states, “Nobody knows with certainty what is going to happen in the markets.” Consider following with Arora’s Third Law, which states, “Making investing and trading decisions based on probabilities is the only realistic and profitable approach.”
- The chart shows that in June, MU stock accelerated away from the trendline.
- The chart shows last week MU stock traced a bearish engulfing candle. This is a negative pattern.
High Bandwidth Memory
High bandwidth memory is a new product. High bandwidth memory is needed for Nvidia’s (NVDA) platform to work properly. Hyperscalers, such as Microsoft (MSFT), Google (GOOG, GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), and Meta (META), are buying all the high bandwidth memory that is being produced. Other buyers include Oracle (ORCL) and Tesla (TSLA).
Micron is sold out of high bandwidth memory for the rest of the year.
The Arora Report estimates high bandwidth memory will provide about $700M in revenue in 2024 for Micron. The Arora Report projects explosive growth with high bandwidth memory revenue for Micron reaching $3B next year.
AI PC
A typical AI PC will have about 15% more legacy D-RAM memory. This is good for Micron.
Solid State Disks
Demand for solid state disks is increasing. Solid state disks use NAND memory. Micron is a big producer of NAND memory.
Commodity Business
Investors need to remember that in the long run, memory is a commodity business. Like any other commodity, memory goes through boom and bust cycles. Right now, memory is going through a boom cycle, but prudent investors also need to know when to get off the train before the bust cycle. This is where The Arora Report comes in by giving you original insights and signals in real time.
Pricing
For a commodity business, pricing is extremely important. Right now, pricing for high bandwidth memory is exceptionally high due to very high demand. Pricing for traditional D-RAM is rising due to the focus on high bandwidth memory. NAND pricing is also rising.
These price increases are good for Micron in the short term.
Earnings
Here are the key points about earnings.
- Consensus earnings estimates for Micron are $0.48 and $6.6B for revenue.
- Whisper numbers have been creeping up and are now at $0.55 in earnings and $7B in revenue.
- Stocks move based on the difference between the reported numbers and whisper numbers. Whisper numbers are the numbers analysts privately share with their best clients and are often different from the numbers the same analysts publish for the public.
- Historically, Micron’s CEO tends to be very bullish.
Valuation
Right now, MU trades at a trailing PE of about 10. In comparison, NVDA trades at a trailing PE of 74. Those who are not steeped in the intricacies of the stock market are comparing the PE of MU to the PE of NVDA. Finding MU to be cheap relative to NVDA, less informed investors are rushing head long to buy MU.
It is important to understand that MU is a commodity stock and thus always garners a lower PE.
In The Arora Report analysis, at its peak, Micron has a capacity to earn as much as $20 per share. Therein lies the opportunity, as long as investors remember that the peak will likely be followed by a bust.
Competitors
The two main competitors of Micron are two Korean companies — Samsung (SSNLF) and SK Hynix. Both of these companies are rapidly increasing capacity for high bandwidth memory.
For the long term, the question is if these Korean companies will continue to increase capacity or if they will show restraint. If they show restraint, memory pricing will hold up. On the other hand, if they continue increasing capacity, when the cycle turns, the supply will become greater than the demand, leading to a plunge in pricing.
Probabilities
Here are the probabilities of the move in MU stock after earnings:
- 55% probability of a strong move up
- 30% probability of a strong move down
- 15% probability of staying range bound
Zones
For those who are following the Good Way, the Buy Now rating is *** (To see the locked content, please take a 30 day free trial).
For those following the Best Way, the buy zone is ***, but it may be revised after earnings.
The recommended quantity is *** of the full core position size.
The target zone is $206 – $218.
Trade Around Position
A trade around position is a billionaire and hedge fund technique that can dramatically increase your profits and lower your risks. There is a separate post for a trade around position.
What To Do Now
Those in the stock may consider continuing to hold. Those not in the stock who are aggressive may consider focusing on a trade around position. Those who are not in the stock who are not aggressive may consider waiting for a dip in the buy zone.
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Nigam Arora
Nigam Arora is known for his accurate stock market calls. Nigam is a distinguished master of the macro. He is a popular columnist with over 100 million page views, an engineer, and nuclear physicist by background. Nigam has founded two Inc. 500 fastest growing companies and has been involved in over 50 entrepreneurial ventures. He is the developer of Theory ZYX of Successful Change Management and is the author of the book on Theory ZYX, as well as the developer of the ZYX Change Method for Investing.
Dr. Natasha Arora
Dr. Natasha Arora has significant expertise in investment analysis especially biotech, healthcare, and technology. Natasha is a graduate of Harvard Medical School followed by a postdoc at MIT. She has published several peer reviewed research papers in top science journals.