The memory market is experiencing a stronger influence from the price cycle than the quantity cycle, driven by an intense infrastructure acquisition competition among hyperscalers, AI model developers, cloud providers, and sovereign AI projects. Long lead times for supply increases, estimated at several dozen weeks (e.g., 40 weeks), are forcing companies to secure currently available inventory through LTA expansion, inventory accumulation, and preemptive purchasing.
Memory prices are now driven by a "secure what you can" psychology, limiting downward pressure and extending upward price trends.