This Comment From Apple CEO Tim Cook Supports Buying the Dip in Micron Stock

Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) designs and manufactures high-performance memory and storage solutions, with a particular focus on DRAM, NAND, and high bandwidth memory (HBM) that power everything from smartphones to the data centers driving artificial intelligence (AI) workloads.

Throughout 2026, Micron stock has soared on the back of unprecedented demand for memory chips as hyperscalers race to secure scarce supply. During the first half of the year, shares of Micron tripled before hitting an all-time high in late June. Then stock fell 26% from its peak and spent the last month recovering some of the lost ground.

Investors are now asking whether this pullback marks the end of Micron's rally or a rare chance to buy the dip.

Why is Micron stock plummeting?

Micron's decline has little to do with any sudden weakness in the AI memory market. Demand remains robust, with industry shortages expected to persist into 2027 and Micron's own capacity sold out under multiyear supply agreements. Instead, the sell-off largely reflects profit-taking after an extraordinary run, combined with anxiety about the memory industry's historically cyclical nature.

Investors fear that Chinese competitors could ease supply constraints or that the hyperscalers may moderate their capital expenditure (capex) budgets if returns on AI infrastructure investments disappoint. Although these concerns are understandable given past boom-and-bust memory chip cycles, I think they are overstated relative to current fundamentals. Pricing power remains intact, gross margins are climbing into the mid-80% range, and supply remains tight. In my eyes, Micron's price slump looks more like a healthy digestion of gains rather than concrete evidence that the AI memory story is flawed.

MU Revenue (TTM) data by YCharts

What did Tim Cook just say about memory prices?

During Apple's recent earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook noted that the company was expecting to pay "significantly more" for memory in the June quarter than in March, and that is exactly what occurred. He added that memory costs will be "even higher" in the current quarter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Image source: Apple.

These remarks signal that pricing pressures are not a temporary spike but rather a sustained reality driven by demand outstripping supply. For Micron, which supplies both conventional DRAM and the specialized HBM for AI accelerators, Cook's commentary is unambiguously positive.

Rising costs for major customers translate directly into higher average selling prices and expanded profit margins for producers. Far from signaling weakness, Cook's candor underscores that the three dominant memory makers -- Micron, Samsung, and SK Hynix -- are operating in a seller's market.

Should you buy the dip in Micron stock?

Given the persistent rise in memory prices that Cook highlighted, Micron has a realistic chance of surprising to the upside in its next earnings report. At a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of roughly 5.3, Micron stock trades at a fraction of the multiples commanded by other AI chip beneficiaries -- even as revenue expands by triple-digit percentages year over year and is expected to continue climbing.

When elevated growth meets rising prices and a valuation that already reflects cyclical skepticism, Micron's recent decline looks more like an opportunity than a warning. Investors willing to see past near-term volatility and focus on the multiyear memory shortage may view Micron's current price as attractive rather than a reason to run for the hills.

Adam Spatacco has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple and Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.