There Are Over 3,000 Stocks in the Nasdaq Composite. And None Stand Out More Than This Ultimate Growth Stock in September.

Source Motley_fool

Key Points

  • Micron's fiscal Q4 earnings release at the end of this month is poised to be a big event for the stock market.

  • The memory chip specialist's results are an important bellwether for the AI trade and the market at large.

  • Micron will likely post strong growth and margins and issue guidance for big growth, but expectations are high heading into the report.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Micron Technology ›

The Nasdaq Composite index comprises more than 3,000 stocks that trade on the Nasdaq exchange. In terms of weight, it's heavily tilted toward industry-leading megacap technology companies.

While the Nasdaq Composite includes Nvidia and every other company in the "Magnificent Seven," there's another growth stock on track to be even more important for the broader market this month. Here's why Micron (NASDAQ: MU) is the top tech stock to watch in September.

Missed AI’s "Act 1"? Act 2 Could Be 15x Bigger. Most investors think they missed the AI boat because they didn't buy Nvidia in 2005. But according to our analysts, we’re only at the end of "Act 1"—the R&D phase. "Act 2" is the global rollout. Continue »

An American flag on a chip on a circuit board.

Image source: Getty Images.

Micron's Sept. 30 earnings report will be a big event for the stock market

After the market closes on Sept. 30, Micron will report results for the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2026, which ended Aug. 31. No other quarterly report released this month is likely to have a bigger impact on the stock market's momentum.

Micron is a leading provider of memory chips that are used in graphics processing units (GPUs) and other hardware that powers data centers used for artificial intelligence (AI) and other high-performance computing applications. Due to the company's crucial role in the artificial intelligence hardware supply chain, Micron's business results have become a bellwether for the AI industry and sentiment across the broader stock market.

In its fiscal Q3 report (released in June), Micron issued strong guidance for Q4, forecasting sales of roughly $50 billion and a gross margin of roughly 86%. For the stock to experience significant gains following the Q4 report, it will likely need to hit the gross margin target and deliver a meaningful beat on sales.

Even more importantly, Micron will need to deliver strong guidance for the new fiscal year. Given the company's stellar pricing power and guidance from Nvidia suggesting that demand for AI GPUs remains very strong, the memory chip specialist will likely issue guidance for strong sales expansion and margins. Micron has also inked a number of long-term chip supply contracts that should help it maintain its pricing power for several years and ensure robust sales performance.

On the other hand, expectations for growth and margins are already high -- merely beating its own guidance and the average Wall Street analyst estimates may not be enough to spur a rally for its stock or for other players in the broader AI space. However, Micron is now arguably the second-most important company for assessing the health of the AI trade, trailing only Nvidia -- and maybe Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, depending on how you view things -- and its upcoming earnings report will likely have ripple effects across the stock market.

Should you buy stock in Micron Technology right now?

Before you buy stock in Micron Technology, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Micron Technology wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $412,074!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,314,319!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 935% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 210% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of September 17, 2026.

Keith Noonan has positions in Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Micron Technology, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Bitcoin, Ethereum ETFs Bleed $592 Million as Clarity Act Fails in SenateBitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) spot ETFs shed a combined $592 million on September 15. Both products posted their deepest single-day outflows in months.The outflows landed as the CLARITY Act failed
Author  Beincrypto
15 hours ago
Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) spot ETFs shed a combined $592 million on September 15. Both products posted their deepest single-day outflows in months.The outflows landed as the CLARITY Act failed
placeholder
SpaceX Stock Jumps 6% After Starship Milestone. Will the Rally Hold?SpaceX stock rose 5.89% to $151.94 on Wednesday morning after the company set September 22 for Starship Flight 14, the rocket’s first attempt to reach orbit.That pushed its market value to above $2 tr
Author  Beincrypto
15 hours ago
SpaceX stock rose 5.89% to $151.94 on Wednesday morning after the company set September 22 for Starship Flight 14, the rocket’s first attempt to reach orbit.That pushed its market value to above $2 tr
placeholder
Billionaire Ron Baron is Extremely Bullish on Tesla Stock. What’s His Reason?Baron Capital founder Ron Baron told CNBC on Wednesday that now is the moment to buy Tesla stock, pointing to the carmaker’s self-driving software as the next driver of its share price.His firm holds
Author  Beincrypto
15 hours ago
Baron Capital founder Ron Baron told CNBC on Wednesday that now is the moment to buy Tesla stock, pointing to the carmaker’s self-driving software as the next driver of its share price.His firm holds
placeholder
Trump Demands 3% Rate Drop After Warsh Raised it and Threatens More HikesPresident Donald Trump demanded the Federal Reserve slash interest rates to 1% or lower on Wednesday. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh had just lifted rates to 3.75%-4% in the central bank’s first hike since 202
Author  Beincrypto
15 hours ago
President Donald Trump demanded the Federal Reserve slash interest rates to 1% or lower on Wednesday. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh had just lifted rates to 3.75%-4% in the central bank’s first hike since 202
placeholder
What Happens to Ethereum Price Now That the Clarity Act Has FailedEthereum (ETH) and the wider crypto market felt the impact of the Clarity Act failing to clear the Senate. Analysts had touted the bill as a major tailwind for the second-largest cryptocurrency.Expect
Author  Beincrypto
15 hours ago
Ethereum (ETH) and the wider crypto market felt the impact of the Clarity Act failing to clear the Senate. Analysts had touted the bill as a major tailwind for the second-largest cryptocurrency.Expect
goTop
quote