-+ 0.00%
-+ 0.00%
-+ 0.00%

The Third Player: YMTC Overtakes Micron in Global NAND Shipment Volumes

Benzinga·10/13/2026 13:32:12
Listen to the news

Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) and SK Hynix Inc. (NASDAQ:SKHY) face a faster-growing Chinese NAND rival as Yangtze Memory Technologies Co. expands market share, prepares for a Shanghai STAR Market IPO and pushes deeper into AI data-center storage.

Counterpoint Research said YMTC ranked third globally by NAND shipment volume in the second quarter of 2026, behind Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (OTC:SSNLF) and SK Hynix but ahead of Kioxia and Micron. Excluding SK Hynix’s Solidigm unit, YMTC would rank second by volume.

YMTC Gains Share Quickly

YMTC’s global NAND revenue share rose from 9% in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025 to 14% in Q1 2026, fueled by AI demand.

Counterpoint expects YMTC’s revenue to grow six times faster than the industry in 2026, with server-related revenue potentially reaching 39% of its total by 2028.

The Chinese chipmaker’s next challenge is winning customers outside China as it targets Samsung, while its Xtacking technology could also help it expand into DRAM for AI applications.

Counterpoint Flags Execution And Geopolitical Risks

Counterpoint is watching whether YMTC can expand enterprise SSD sales outside China, execute its DRAM roadmap and continue building capacity despite U.S. export restrictions.

The company is targeting roughly 500,000 wafers of monthly capacity over the long term and a 20% share of the global NAND market, up from a current shipment share of 16.5%.

Price Action: Micron Technology shares were down 5.04% at $939.19 and SK hynix shares were down 6.26% at $152.07 during premarket trading on Tuesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Image via Shutterstock