The AI Memory Crunch Is Creating Winners and Losers. Here Are the Stocks to Buy

There's a bottleneck in the AI boom that won't be solved anytime soon. AI workloads require immense amounts of dynamic random access memory (DRAM), high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and "NOT AND" (NAND) storage far more than traditional computing. This supply-and-demand imbalance is causing a serious shortage, as supply is largely controlled by just a few players. Memory makers with the ability to scale and keep pace with advanced memory technology are well-positioned to succeed for several more years.

The memory shortage presents a real problem for AI companies, but a great opportunity for memory designers and manufacturers, and thus their investors. Memory companies such as Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU), Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC), and SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK) are all stocks investors should consider purchasing for just that reason. AI momentum is transforming from pure hype and enthusiasm to real earnings for these companies.

It's Micron's moment

It's no secret that Micron stock has been on an absolute tear over the past year. Micron is one of only three major global DRAM producers and is rapidly growing its HBM portfolio as well. This combo gives Micron an enormous competitive moat and pricing power.

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Micron is strategically shifting away from low-margin consumer memory toward higher-margin enterprise customers, data centers, and cloud computing. Already, Micron is sold out for all of 2026. The company can meet only about two-thirds of customer demand and is building two large factories in Idaho to increase production capacity starting in 2027 and 2028.

As of its latest quarterly earnings, Micron's revenue had ballooned to $13.6 billion, a nearly $5 billion jump from the same quarter a year prior. Micron's margins have also improved dramatically in that time frame.

Micron anticipates its second-quarter results, due for release in late March, will show another massive revenue jump to $18.7 billion and diluted earnings per share nearly doubling to $8.19. Right now, Micron presents the best pure-play memory stock available in the U.S.

Western Digital dominates storage

AI doesn't just need memory; it also needs massive storage capacity. Western Digital is a leader in developing advanced 3D NAND flash memory for higher-capacity, more efficient storage in SSDs, mobile, and industrial devices. The company's products are used in data centers, cloud storage, and enterprise-level AI workloads.

Western Digital's stock skyrocketed at the start of 2026 and is up over 50% as of Feb. 6. The company announced on Feb. 3 that it would be repurchasing $4 billion in shares. This buyback is another bullish sign for investors.

Western Digital also pays a dividend, and while its forward P/E ratio has steadily increased, the company still appears to have room to run.

SanDisk is back and booming

After completing its separation from Western Digital in early 2025, SanDisk is once again independent and dominating the NAND technology market. DRAM and HBM receive significant attention in AI, but NAND is also a critical component. Datasets, trained models, and AI-generated outputs all require NAND.

SanDisk also operates in a highly concentrated market, giving it significant pricing power and strong current demand. SanDisk reported its second-quarter earnings on Jan. 29 and showed the world exactly how strong demand is for its products. The company's revenue was up 31%, and data center revenue was up 64%. Even more exciting is that the company anticipates another billion or more in additional revenue next quarter.

SanDisk's stock took off after the earnings blowout. The stock is up nearly 150% year-to-date as of Feb. 6. Still, with memory and storage demand ever increasing, SanDisk remains a good buy.

Memory is cyclical

Memory stocks tend to be cyclical. Right now, they are experiencing a significant upswing after years of being depressed. Some analysts may think memory stocks are already overpriced, but there's a lot of evidence that this cycle will last for quite some time. The backlog for memory and storage in the AI sector is overwhelming. Only a few companies are prepared to handle the demand.

Micron, Western Digital, and SanDisk look like three solid winners as more memory becomes mandatory in the AI boom.

Catie Hogan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Micron Technology and Western Digital. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.