Micron Technology (MU) stock fell more than 5% out of the gate Thursday as the memory chipmaker's disappointing fiscal fourth-quarter revenue outlook overshadows its fiscal third-quarter top- and bottom-line beats.
In the quarter ended May 30, Micron's revenue surged 81.5% year-over-year to $6.8 billion, driven by "robust AI-driven demand for data center products." Its earnings per share (EPS) came in at 62 cents compared with a loss of $1.43 in the year-ago period.
"We are gaining share in high-margin products like High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), and our data center solid-state-drives (SSD) revenue hit a record high, demonstrating the strength of our AI product portfolio across DRAM and NAND," Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said in a statement.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The results handily beat analysts' expectations. According to CNBC, Wall Street was anticipating revenue of $6.7 billion and earnings of 51 cents per share.
However, sentiment turned negative toward Micron after the company provided the outlook for its fiscal fourth quarter, which didn't blow away analysts' expectations. MU anticipates revenue of approximately $7.6 billion, plus or minus $200 million, and EPS of roughly $1.08, give or take 8 cents per share. Analysts are expecting revenue of $7.6 billion and earnings of $1.05 per share.
Still, Mehrotra says the company is excited "about the expanding AI-driven opportunities ahead, and are well positioned to deliver a substantial revenue record in fiscal 2025."
Is Micron stock a buy, sell or hold?
Wall Street is very bullish on the tech stock and for good reason. Indeed, MU has been one of the best semiconductor stocks so far this year, up 58% even with today's decline. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the average analyst target price for MU stock is $157.23, representing implied upside of more than 16% to current levels. Additionally, the consensus recommendation is a Strong Buy.
Financial service firm Stifel is one of the more bullish outfits on Micron stock with a Buy rating and $165 price target.
"Though Micron's earnings and quarterly outlook exceeded consensus, expectations were clearly elevated ahead of Wednesday’s print, causing the stock to trade-off in the aftermarket," Stifel said in a note this morning. "Ultimately, we see the benefits to pricing and profitability in the interim outweighing other concerns and maintain our Buy rating."
Stifel's $165 price target represents implied upside of nearly 22% to current levels.
Related Content
-
Ten Retirement Tax Plan Moves to Make Before December 31Retirement Taxes Proactively reviewing your health coverage, RMDs, and IRAs can lower retirement taxes in 2025 and 2026. Here’s how.
-
The Best (and Worst) Airlines for Flight Delays and CancellationsWhich airlines should you book and which should you avoid if you want to make it to your destination on time?
-
A Broad Approach to Innovative Trends Helps This SPDR ETF OutperformThe SPDR S&P Kensho New Economies Composite's bets on transformational technologies have sparked volatility – and big gains – this year.
-
The Best Invesco ETFs to BuyInvesco's expansive and diverse ETF lineup includes multiple notable candidates for serious investors. Here are the best Invesco ETFs to buy.
-
Parents and Caregivers: Don't Miss Your Roth Conversion WindowCaring for a child or parent can mean a drop in income and a lower tax bracket. Why not take advantage by moving money into a Roth account? Here's how it works.
-
Testing the Retirement Waters in Florida? A Partial Plunge May Negate Tax BreaksMost folks know Florida is a tax-friendly state, but they might not know that part-time residents may not qualify, as our cautionary tale shows.
-
Catch-Up Contributions for Higher Earners in 457(b) Plans: What You Need to KnowGovernment 457(b) plans are about to get more complex as new Roth catch-up requirements come into force. Here's how to prepare for the changes.
-
Stocks Rally as Investors Buy the Dip: Stock Market TodayMost sectors are "go" only a day after talk of bubbles, extended valuations and narrow breadth undermined any kind of exuberance.
-
Elon Musk's $1 Trillion Pay Package Vote: What's at Stake for Tesla StockTesla shareholders are voting this week on a massive pay package for CEO Elon Musk. Here's what it means for the Mag 7 stock.
-
How to Read a Company's Balance Sheet Like a Stock ProKnowing how to read this financial statement can help you separate strong companies from struggling ones.
