Micron shares dip on lack of Q2 guidance update

Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU). shares fell modestly after the company did not provide an update or preannounce its fiscal second-quarter earnings during the JPMorgan Tech Conference held today.

The stock fell about 2.5% at the open before paring some losses.

Micron's management provided an update but did not offer new commentary regarding the May quarter or expectations for August. With the end of the quarter approaching, it is generally believed that the June quarter has met expectations without significant upside.

The management reiterated their previous earnings call expectations of gross margins (GMs) in the low-30s percentage for the August quarter.

Micron also announced an increase in its fiscal year 2024 capital expenditures to $8 billion, up from the previously guided $7.5 billion. This increase is attributed to investments in High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM).

Micron's management expects a 50% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for HBM in the near term. The shift from 8-high HBM to 12-high is anticipated to drive revenue in calendar year 2025.

"We continue to believe that growth in HBM, which uses 3x the wafer capacity as compared to commodity DRAM, will be a major factor in driving much tighter industry supply in CY25, benefiting pricing and margins," Wolfe Research analysts said in a note.

"We continue to expect peak earnings for the coming upturn to be higher than MU’s prior $12 peak cycle earnings, driven by HBM."