In a report on Samsung Electronics, South Korean brokerage firm KB Securities predicted that DRAM prices in the first quarter of 2027 will rise by a double-digit percentage compared to the previous quarter.
“70% of next year’s DRAM production and 100% of HBM production have already been pre-ordered”—will next year be another tough year for memory prices?
This forecast was issued by the South Korean securities firm KB Securities.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap News, Kim Dong-won of KB Securities analyzed in a report dated October 20 that Samsung Electronics has signed five-year long-term supply contracts with major global IT companies for approximately 70% of the general-purpose memory—such as DRAM and NAND—it plans to produce in 2027.Furthermore, the report states that supply contracts have been secured for the entire annual production volume of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), primarily HBM4.
Consequently, he expressed the view that Samsung Electronics has already secured customers for approximately 80% of its total memory production in 2027. He also predicted that the average selling price of HBM will rise by 100–150% year-over-year in 2027.DRAM prices in the first quarter of 2027 are also expected to rise by a double-digit percentage compared to the previous quarter.
Kim Dong-won, the author of the report, speaks highly of Samsung Electronics’ HBM4 and predicts that HBM4’s share of Samsung Electronics’ total HBM revenue will expand from 40% in 2026 to 80% in 2027.The report suggests that high-end HBM4 will drive the rise in DRAM prices.
Based on these factors, operating profit is projected to reach 367 trillion won (approximately 43 trillion yen) in 2026 and 555 trillion won (approximately 66 trillion yen) in 2027; KB Securities continues to maintain a target stock price of 600,000 won for Samsung Electronics.
In addition, the CEO of semiconductor giant SK Hynix has forecast that the memory industry will face its worst-ever supply shortage in 2027 and has stated that the shortage is expected to continue until the end of 2030.
Semiconductor memory prices continue to soar amid growing demand for AI and other factors. This latest analysis also predicts that prices will continue to rise through 2027, meaning PC gamers may face a prolonged difficult situation. Concerns also persist regarding the impact on gaming consoles and other devices.
