Apple’s Shine & the Memory Game

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Apple. They moved a lot of phones. A record, they said. Like that meant something beyond quarterly bonuses and inflated stock options. The numbers were up, sixteen percent overall, twenty-three percent in iPhones. A predictable surge, timed like a clock. The market swallowed it whole, naturally.

They’re talking profits, too. Growing, they say. As if that ever changed. The real story, the one nobody wanted to shout from the rooftops, was buried in the earnings call. Memory chips. Suddenly, the little guys holding up the whole operation. A shortage, of course. What else would you expect? Demand for this AI nonsense is through the roof, and somebody has to make the bits that make it tick.

Cook, that smooth operator, acknowledged the pinch. Said it hadn’t hurt them yet. But the wind, he hinted, was about to shift. Memory prices, he predicted, would be climbing. Significantly. Like they needed another excuse to charge more for everything.

Micron & the House Always Wins

Micron. One of the three chipmakers holding the cards. The only American one, which apparently matters these days. They supply Apple, naturally. Two-point-zero billion chips slated for 2025. A patriotic move, or just smart business? The line blurs quickly in this game.

Micron’s been doing well, too. Breakout results, soaring stock. They’re riding the AI wave like surfers on a tsunami. More iPhones sold means fewer chips available, and higher prices. It’s basic economics, dressed up in silicon and marketing hype.

Intel’s seeing the same thing. Supply constraints. A convenient excuse for anything, really. Cook’s pronouncements weren’t a surprise. The whole industry is tightening its grip, squeezing every last drop of profit from a thirsty market.

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A Buy? Don’t Ask Me.

The memory market is a carousel. Up, down, repeat. But this AI business… it might be different. A supercycle, they call it. Like that hasn’t been said before. Micron’s earnings guidance was double what the analysts expected. Which means the analysts are still asleep at the wheel.

Dirt cheap, they say. A price-to-earnings ratio of thirteen. Based on 2026 estimates, of course. Those are always optimistic. Revenue is expected to double this year. A bold prediction. Or a desperate hope.

Micron’s management is calling for this AI tailwind to last until 2028. A long time in this business. The stock could go higher. Maybe. As long as the supply doesn’t catch up with demand. And as long as the market doesn’t decide it’s had enough. It’s a gamble, like everything else. But in this town, you play the hand you’re dealt.

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2026-01-31 00:32