Retail investors increase bets on memory chipmakers as global supply shortages persist
Retail investors are buying memory chipmakers in early 2026. This reflects conviction that AI demand will sustain a multi-year global supply shortage.
Insights:
Retail investors in the US 
USare significantly increasing their exposure to memory and data storage chipmakers in January 2026. This movement is driven by expectations of sustained supply shortages and price support resulting from the accelerating AI infrastructure race. Shares of SanDisk have soared approximately 65 percent so far this year, recording a record $7.1 million in retail inflows on Monday alone, which marked the biggest one-day move on record.
USare significantly increasing their exposure to memory and data storage chipmakers in January 2026. This movement is driven by expectations of sustained supply shortages and price support resulting from the accelerating AI infrastructure race. Shares of SanDisk have soared approximately 65 percent so far this year, recording a record $7.1 million in retail inflows on Monday alone, which marked the biggest one-day move on record.Western Digital Corporation has also attracted nearly $10 million in retail capital during the first two weeks of January, putting the company on course for its strongest monthly showing since October 2025. This follow-through on momentum comes after a record 2025 for individual investor participation in the sector, where total flows for SanDisk, Western Digital Corporation, and Seagate Technology Holdings plc reached more than $117.2 million. For its part, Seagate Technology Holdings plchas already recorded more than $2.1 million in year-to-date inflows for 2026.
