Samsung Electronics is in negotiations with customers to raise its DRAM average selling price (ASP) by up to 20% in the third quarter of 2026 compared to the previous quarter, according to industry sources. The move is seen as a profit‑maximisation strategy by memory makers, driven by persistent supply shortages across all product lines due to AI infrastructure investment.
📈 Price trend · moderation but sustained high margins
Industry insiders indicate that while the pace of price increases may slow thereafter, the high‑profit trend is expected to continue through next year. The current DRAM price surge is fuelled by massive AI infrastructure spending by global tech giants, tightening supply not only for server DRAM and HBM, but also for low‑power DRAM (LPDDR), which is growing in importance for AI inference.
Samsung outpaces SK Hynix · pricing aggressiveness
Notably, Samsung’s DRAM ASP increase is expected to far exceed that of SK Hynix. Industry observers attribute this to the larger share of commodity DRAM in Samsung's overall output, which tends to be more volatile and more aggressively priced.
📊 Samsung DRAM ASP quarterly growth
- Q1 2026 — up ~90% QoQ
- Q2 2026 — projected 50–60% QoQ
- Q3 2026 — targeting ~20% QoQ
By contrast, SK Hynix, with a higher proportion of HBM capacity, is expected to see a more moderate increase than Samsung.
A semiconductor industry source commented: “Samsung Electronics remains very aggressive in its third‑quarter price negotiations. We understand they are aiming to raise LPDDR prices by more than 20%, as LPDDR has recently faced serious bottlenecks in both the server and mobile markets. However, it’s not yet certain whether customers will fully accept these increases.”
Market stability · LTA expansion
DRAM prices are expected to remain stable going forward. Although the pace of increase is gradually slowing, the proportion of long‑term agreements (LTAs) signed with major customers is steadily rising, providing a floor for pricing.
☁️ Meta's cloud entry · no negative impact on memory demand
Meta’s recent move into the cloud computing business is not expected to hurt memory demand. Analysts view the sale of Meta's excess internal compute resources as a sign that the company has sufficient AI production capacity.
Meta has maintained an aggressive investment stance — for example, it raised its annual AI infrastructure investment plan from $115–135 billion to $125–145 billion in April last year.
Industry sources explained: “Thanks to an expanded price floor from long‑term agreements and the renegotiation of HBM pricing, the DRAM market will not see a sharp downturn next year. As for Meta, it’s more accurate to view this as a measure to efficiently utilise internal compute resources.”