Shares of U.S. memory manufacturers Micron Technology Inc ( MU ) and SanDisk Corp ( SNDK ) are trading higher Friday morning following a Reuters report that industry leader Samsung Electronics Co Ltd ( SSNLF ) (OTC:SSNLF) has aggressively raised prices. Here’s what investors need to know.

MU is surging to new heights today. See the complete data here.

What To Know: Per Reuters, Samsung has hiked rates on key memory chips by up to 60% since September, a move triggered by “panic buying” for AI-related data centers.

This supply shock provides a direct catalyst for Samsung's competitors. The report specifically identifies tight supply for both DRAM and NAND globally. This could create a bullish environment for Micron, which competes directly with Samsung in the DRAM and high-bandwidth memory space. The report notes that this shortage strengthens pricing power across the sector.

Furthermore, the tightness in the NAND market is a positive indicator for the SanDisk brand. As Samsung projects potentially raising contract prices by another 40-50% in the fourth quarter, U.S. chipmakers are expected to benefit from these elevated industry margins and the validated surge in AI infrastructure demand.

MU Price Action: Micron Technology ( MU ) shares were up 6.15% at $251.65 at the time of publication on Friday. The stock is approaching its 52-week high of $257.07, according to Benzinga Pro data.

SNDK Price Action: SanDisk ( SNDK ) shares were up 7.02% at $260.49 at the time of publication on Friday.

Read Also: Satya Nadella Unveils Microsoft’s 50-Year AI Plan — And A Stark ‘Winner’s Curse’ Warning