- Citing stronger-than-expected DRAM demand, a $1B buyback, the Inotera JV's Q3 results, and a weak yen, Goldman's James Covello has hiked his Micron (MU +1.8%) target by $3 to $32, albeit while reiterating a Neutral.
- SanDisk (SNDK +1.9%), which receives a favorable mention in Covello's note, is also outperforming. As is chip equipment maker Lam Research (LRCX +2.8%), which has considerable DRAM/NAND exposure and has seen its target hiked by $6 to $91. The Nasdaq is up 0.7%.
- Covello: "We are now modeling about 1% DRAM undersupply in 2015 (from balanced prior) ... Our new content estimates for phones, tablets and servers are now all modestly above third party forecasts to better reflect this."
- Nonetheless, Covello remains more partial to SanDisk, due to a belief the DRAM industry's EBIT margins (among the highest in the chip industry) are unsustainable. "We expect excess returns to continue to attract supply (creating upside risk to our 2015 base case supply estimate of 25% yoy) ... DRAM capex is up about 40% yoy in 2014E and tracking higher in 2015E." Bulls are counting on industry consolidation to keep a lid on supply growth.