Why Micron Stock Is Soaring in After-Hours Trading

Source The Motley Fool

Key Points

  • Micron reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 financial results after the bell rang today.

  • The company exceeded analysts' revenue and profit expectations.

  • Management projected a strong performance in the second quarter of fiscal 2026.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Micron Technology ›

Recovering from their 3% dip during today's trading session, shares of Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) are jumping higher in the after-hours trading session. The company reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 financial results that blew past analysts' expectations, and bulls are expressing their enthusiasm by bidding the stock higher.

As of 5:19 p.m. ET, shares of Micron are up 8.1% from where they closed at the end of the regular trading session today.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »

investor looking at laptop celebrates.

Image source: Getty Images.

Smashing estimates on the top- and bottom-lines is merely part of the story

Reporting a company record for first-quarter financial results, Micron booked revenue of $13.64 billion in Q1 2026, a 56.7% year-over-year increase. Analysts anticipated Micron would report sales of $12.88 billion. While the company reported year-over-year growth from all four of its business units, the cloud memory business unit, which accounted for $5.28 billion in sales, represented the most significant source of growth, with a 99.5% increase compared to Q1 fiscal 2025.

The strong performance extended to the bottom of the income statement, where Micron reported adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $4.78 -- notably greater than the adjusted diluted EPS of $3.94 that analysts estimated the company would report.

Micron also provided investors with something to celebrate regarding cash flow, as the company reported free cash flow of $3.9 billion. A quarterly record, Micron's Q1 2026 free cash flow surpassed the company's prior record (in fiscal Q4 2018) by over 20%.

Looking ahead, management projected second-quarter 2026 revenue of $18.3 billion to $19.1 billion and adjusted diluted EPS of $8.22 to $8.62. For context, Micron reported revenue and adjusted diluted EPS of $8.1 billion and $1.56, respectively, in the second quarter of 2025.

Should tech investors race to join the buying spree on Micron stock?

Unsurprisingly, Micron stock is soaring after the company reported stellar financial results. Prospective investors, however, will want to avoid following the herd and conduct thorough due diligence to determine if the stock is a suitable match for their investment goals.

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 $509,955!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,089,460!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 968% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 193% 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 December 17, 2025.

Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
Gold Price Forecast: XAU/USD drifts higher above $4,200 as Fed delivers expected cutGold price (XAU/USD) gains momentum to around $4,235 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The precious metal extends its upside after the US Federal Reserve (Fed) delivered an expected third consecutive interest rate cut and maintained its outlook for just one cut in 2026.
Author  FXStreet
Dec 11, Thu
Gold price (XAU/USD) gains momentum to around $4,235 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The precious metal extends its upside after the US Federal Reserve (Fed) delivered an expected third consecutive interest rate cut and maintained its outlook for just one cut in 2026.
placeholder
Ethereum Price Slips Lower — $3,000 Looms as the Key BattlegroundEthereum is attempting to recover from a $3,026 low but remains below $3,200 and the 100-hour SMA, with a bearish trend line near $3,175 capping rebounds as bulls need a clean break above $3,200 to target $3,250–$3,400, while a drop below $3,050 risks a retest of $3,000 and $2,940.
Author  Mitrade
Dec 15, Mon
Ethereum is attempting to recover from a $3,026 low but remains below $3,200 and the 100-hour SMA, with a bearish trend line near $3,175 capping rebounds as bulls need a clean break above $3,200 to target $3,250–$3,400, while a drop below $3,050 risks a retest of $3,000 and $2,940.
placeholder
Bitcoin Slides 5% as Sellers Lean In — Can BTC Reclaim $88,000?Bitcoin has dropped back below $88,000 after rolling over from $90,500, with price still trading under the 100-hour Simple Moving Average. The sell-off found a floor at $85,151, and BTC is now consolidating near that base, but rebounds are facing pressure from a bearish trend line around $89,000. Bulls need to retake $88,000–$89,000 to ease downside risk; failure to do so keeps $85,500–$85,000 and then $83,500 in play, with $80,000 as the deeper “line in the sand.” Bitcoin (BTC) is back in damage-control mode after a sharp pullback wiped out recent gains. The price failed to reclaim the $90,000–$90,500 band, rolled over, and slid through $88,500 before briefly dipping under $87,000. Buyers did show up around $85,000, but the rebound so far looks more like stabilization than a clear trend reversal. Bitcoin dips hard, finds a bid near $85,000(h3) BTC’s latest move lower began when it couldn’t build follow-through above $90,000 and $90,500. Once that upside stalled, sellers took control and pushed price down through $88,500. The slide accelerated enough to spike below $87,000, but the market didn’t free-fall. Bulls defended the $85,000 zone, printing a low at $85,151. Since then, Bitcoin has been consolidating below the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the drop from the $93,560 swing high to the $85,151 low — a clue that the bounce is still shallow and that sellers haven’t fully backed off yet. Structurally, BTC is still on the back foot: It’s trading below $88,000, and It remains below the 100-hour Simple Moving Average, keeping short-term trend pressure pointed downward. Resistance is layered, and $89,000 is the problem area(h3) If bulls try to turn this into a recovery, they’ll have to climb through multiple ceilings in quick succession. First, BTC faces resistance around $87,150, followed by a more meaningful barrier near $87,500. From there, the market’s attention snaps back to $88,000 — the level BTC just lost and now needs to reclaim. A close back above $88,000 would improve the tone, but it doesn’t solve the bigger issue: there’s a bearish trend line on the hourly BTC/USD chart (Kraken feed) with resistance near $89,000, which also lines up with the next technical hurdle. If BTC can push through $89,000 and hold, the rebound could extend toward $90,000, with follow-through targets at $91,000 and $91,500. But until price clears that $88,000–$89,000 zone, rallies are at risk of being sold rather than chased. If BTC fails to reclaim resistance, the downside path is clear(h3) The near-term bear case is simple: if Bitcoin can’t climb back above the $87,000 area and keep traction, sellers may attempt another leg lower. Support levels line up like this: Immediate support: $85,500 First major support: $85,000 Next support: $83,500 Then $82,500 in the near term Below that, the major “don’t break this” level is still $80,000. If BTC slips under $80,000, the risk of acceleration to the downside increases significantly — not because it’s magic, but because it’s the kind of psychological and structural level that tends to trigger forced de-risking. Indicators: momentum still leans bearish(h3) The intraday indicators aren’t offering much comfort yet: Hourly MACD is losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI remains below 50, suggesting sellers still have the upper hand on short timeframes. So while the $85,000 defense held for now, the market hasn’t flipped bullish — it’s just stopped bleeding.
Author  Mitrade
Dec 16, Tue
Bitcoin has dropped back below $88,000 after rolling over from $90,500, with price still trading under the 100-hour Simple Moving Average. The sell-off found a floor at $85,151, and BTC is now consolidating near that base, but rebounds are facing pressure from a bearish trend line around $89,000. Bulls need to retake $88,000–$89,000 to ease downside risk; failure to do so keeps $85,500–$85,000 and then $83,500 in play, with $80,000 as the deeper “line in the sand.” Bitcoin (BTC) is back in damage-control mode after a sharp pullback wiped out recent gains. The price failed to reclaim the $90,000–$90,500 band, rolled over, and slid through $88,500 before briefly dipping under $87,000. Buyers did show up around $85,000, but the rebound so far looks more like stabilization than a clear trend reversal. Bitcoin dips hard, finds a bid near $85,000(h3) BTC’s latest move lower began when it couldn’t build follow-through above $90,000 and $90,500. Once that upside stalled, sellers took control and pushed price down through $88,500. The slide accelerated enough to spike below $87,000, but the market didn’t free-fall. Bulls defended the $85,000 zone, printing a low at $85,151. Since then, Bitcoin has been consolidating below the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement of the drop from the $93,560 swing high to the $85,151 low — a clue that the bounce is still shallow and that sellers haven’t fully backed off yet. Structurally, BTC is still on the back foot: It’s trading below $88,000, and It remains below the 100-hour Simple Moving Average, keeping short-term trend pressure pointed downward. Resistance is layered, and $89,000 is the problem area(h3) If bulls try to turn this into a recovery, they’ll have to climb through multiple ceilings in quick succession. First, BTC faces resistance around $87,150, followed by a more meaningful barrier near $87,500. From there, the market’s attention snaps back to $88,000 — the level BTC just lost and now needs to reclaim. A close back above $88,000 would improve the tone, but it doesn’t solve the bigger issue: there’s a bearish trend line on the hourly BTC/USD chart (Kraken feed) with resistance near $89,000, which also lines up with the next technical hurdle. If BTC can push through $89,000 and hold, the rebound could extend toward $90,000, with follow-through targets at $91,000 and $91,500. But until price clears that $88,000–$89,000 zone, rallies are at risk of being sold rather than chased. If BTC fails to reclaim resistance, the downside path is clear(h3) The near-term bear case is simple: if Bitcoin can’t climb back above the $87,000 area and keep traction, sellers may attempt another leg lower. Support levels line up like this: Immediate support: $85,500 First major support: $85,000 Next support: $83,500 Then $82,500 in the near term Below that, the major “don’t break this” level is still $80,000. If BTC slips under $80,000, the risk of acceleration to the downside increases significantly — not because it’s magic, but because it’s the kind of psychological and structural level that tends to trigger forced de-risking. Indicators: momentum still leans bearish(h3) The intraday indicators aren’t offering much comfort yet: Hourly MACD is losing pace in the bearish zone. Hourly RSI remains below 50, suggesting sellers still have the upper hand on short timeframes. So while the $85,000 defense held for now, the market hasn’t flipped bullish — it’s just stopped bleeding.
placeholder
December Santa Claus Rally: New highs in sight for US and European stocks?Historical data show a rising trend of US and European stocks in December. If the momentum is strong, fund managers may rush in with a buying frenzy.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 02: 50
Historical data show a rising trend of US and European stocks in December. If the momentum is strong, fund managers may rush in with a buying frenzy.
placeholder
XRP’s Price Action Flashes a Warning Even as ETF Flows Stay PositiveXRP’s structure remains weak despite 18 straight positive closes in spot XRP ETFs, with analysts warning that $1.98 and other nearby resistance zones could cap rebounds unless the YO region is reclaimed, while deeper downside scenarios keep $1.53 on watch as a potential (not guaranteed) accumulation area.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 06: 37
XRP’s structure remains weak despite 18 straight positive closes in spot XRP ETFs, with analysts warning that $1.98 and other nearby resistance zones could cap rebounds unless the YO region is reclaimed, while deeper downside scenarios keep $1.53 on watch as a potential (not guaranteed) accumulation area.
goTop
quote