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    AI boom powers Micron to record quarter as memory chip sales jump

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    Rhea-AI Summary

    Micron Technology (Nasdaq: MU) reported record fiscal Q1 2026 results for the quarter ended November 27, 2025: revenue $13.64B, GAAP net income $5.24B (GAAP diluted EPS $4.60), non‑GAAP net income $5.48B (non‑GAAP EPS $4.78), and operating cash flow $8.41B. Capital expenditures were $4.5B and adjusted free cash flow was $3.9B. Cash and marketable investments totaled $12.0B. The board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.115 per share, payable Jan 14, 2026 to holders of record Dec 29, 2025.

    For FQ2‑26 Micron provided guidance of $18.70B ± $0.40B revenue, GAAP gross margin 67.0% ± 1.0% and GAAP diluted EPS $8.19 ± $0.20.


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    Positive

    • Revenue $13.64B in FQ1-26
    • Operating cash flow $8.41B in FQ1-26
    • GAAP net income $5.24B (GAAP EPS $4.60) in FQ1-26
    • Adjusted free cash flow $3.9B in FQ1-26
    • FQ2-26 revenue guidance $18.70B ± $400M

    Negative

    • Capital expenditures $4.5B in FQ1-26



    Market Reaction
    15 min delay
    2 Alerts


    +10.04%
    Since News


    Following this news, MU has gained 10.04%, reflecting a significant positive market reaction.
    Our momentum scanner has triggered 2 alerts so far, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility.
    The stock is currently trading at $248.16.
    This price movement has added approximately $23.16B to the company’s valuation.


    Data tracked by StockTitan Argus (15 min delayed). Upgrade to Silver for real-time data.

    Key Figures


    Q1 2026 Revenue
    $13.64 billion
    Fiscal Q1 2026; vs $11.32B prior quarter and $8.71B prior year


    GAAP Net Income
    $5.24 billion
    Fiscal Q1 2026; $4.60 diluted EPS


    Non-GAAP Net Income
    $5.48 billion
    Fiscal Q1 2026; $4.78 diluted EPS


    Operating Cash Flow
    $8.41 billion
    Fiscal Q1 2026; vs $5.73B prior quarter and $3.24B prior year


    Capex, net
    $4.5 billion
    Investments in capital expenditures, net, in Q1 2026


    Adjusted Free Cash Flow
    $3.9 billion
    Fiscal Q1 2026; described as highest ever free cash flow


    Cash & Investments
    $12.0 billion
    Cash, marketable investments, and restricted cash at Q1 2026 end


    Q2 2026 Revenue Guide
    $18.70B ± $400M
    Fiscal Q2 2026 GAAP and non-GAAP revenue outlook

    Market Reality Check


    Peers on Argus

    While MU was down 2.1%, key peers like QCOM (-1.71%), ARM (-1.94%), INTC (-0.79%), TXN (-0.44%) and ADI (-0.91%) also traded lower, suggesting broader semiconductor softness rather than a MU‑only move.

    Historical Context

    Date Event Sentiment Move Catalyst

    Business exit update

    -2.2%


    Announced exit from Crucial consumer business to refocus on enterprise and AI.

    Earnings call schedule

    -1.1%


    Scheduled Q1 FY26 earnings conference call and outlined webcast details.

    Product launch

    -3.3%


    Announced automotive UFS 4.1 samples targeting AI‑enabled vehicle applications.

    Investor event timing

    -0.1%


    Corrected start time for participation in an RBC technology conference.

    Investor event notice

    -0.1%


    Announced participation in an upcoming RBC Capital Markets investor conference.
    Pattern Detected

    Recent Micron news — including multiple strong earnings beats — has often been followed by short‑term share price declines, indicating a recurring divergence between positive fundamentals and immediate price reaction.

    Recent Company History

    Over the last several months, Micron’s news flow has centered on strong financial performance and strategic repositioning. The company reported record Q4 FY25 results on Sep 23, 2025 and robust Q3 and Q2 FY25 earnings with rising revenue and net income. It later announced an exit from the Crucial consumer business on Dec 3, 2025 to prioritize enterprise and AI data‑center demand. Several investor events and product announcements complemented this trajectory. Today’s Q1 FY26 record revenue and cash flow build directly on that earnings growth narrative.

    Market Pulse Summary


    The stock is surging +10.0% following this news. A strong positive reaction aligns with Micron’s record Q1 FY26 performance, including revenue of $13.64 billion, GAAP net income of $5.24 billion, and operating cash flow of $8.41 billion. Historical earnings releases often featured robust metrics yet saw short-term weakness, so a decisive upside move here would mark a shift from that pattern. Investors may watch how sustained AI-driven demand, capex of $4.5 billion, and the guided Q2 revenue of $18.70B ± $400M influence longer-term trends.

    Key Terms


    gaap
    financial


    non-gaap
    financial


    operating cash flow
    financial


    free cash flow
    financial


    capital expenditures
    financial

    gross margin
    financial

    operating margin
    financial

    AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

    AI demand acceleration and Micron execution drive record fiscal Q1 results, including highest ever free cash flow

    BOISE, Idaho, Dec. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU) today announced results for its first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended November 27, 2025.

    Fiscal Q1 2026 highlights

    • Revenue of $13.64 billion versus $11.32 billion for the prior quarter and $8.71 billion for the same period last year
    • GAAP net income of $5.24 billion, or $4.60 per diluted share
    • Non-GAAP net income of $5.48 billion, or $4.78 per diluted share
    • Operating cash flow of $8.41 billion versus $5.73 billion for the prior quarter and $3.24 billion for the same period last year

    “In fiscal Q1, Micron delivered record revenue and significant margin expansion at the company level and also in each of our business units,” said Sanjay Mehrotra, Chairman, President and CEO of Micron Technology. “Our Q2 outlook reflects substantial records across revenue, gross margin, EPS and free cash flow, and we anticipate our business performance to continue strengthening through fiscal 2026. Micron’s technology leadership, differentiated product portfolio, and strong operational execution position us as an essential AI enabler, and we are investing to support our customers’ growing need for memory and storage.”

    Quarterly Financial Results
    (in millions, except per share amounts) GAAP(1)   Non-GAAP(2)
    FQ1-26 FQ4-25 FQ1-25   FQ1-26 FQ4-25 FQ1-25
                   
    Revenue $ 13,643   $ 11,315   $ 8,709     $ 13,643   $ 11,315   $ 8,709  
    Gross margin   7,646     5,054     3,348       7,753     5,169     3,441  
    Percent of revenue   56.0 %   44.7 %   38.4 %     56.8 %   45.7 %   39.5 %
    Operating expenses   1,510     1,400     1,174       1,334     1,214     1,047  
    Operating income   6,136     3,654     2,174       6,419     3,955     2,394  
    Percent of revenue   45.0 %   32.3 %   25.0 %     47.0 %   35.0 %   27.5 %
    Net income   5,240     3,201     1,870       5,482     3,469     2,037  
    Diluted earnings per share   4.60     2.83     1.67       4.78     3.03     1.79  
                                           

    For the first quarter of 2026, investments in capital expenditures, net(2) were $4.5 billion and adjusted free cash flow(2) was $3.9 billion. Micron ended the year with cash, marketable investments, and restricted cash of $12.0 billion. On December 17, 2025, Micron’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.115 per share, payable in cash on January 14, 2026, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on December 29, 2025.

    Quarterly Business Unit Financial Results
      FQ1-26 FQ4-25 FQ1-25
           
    Cloud Memory Business Unit      
    Revenue $ 5,284   $ 4,543   $ 2,648  
    Gross margin   66 %   59 %   51 %
    Operating margin   55 %   48 %   40 %
           
    Core Data Center Business Unit      
    Revenue $ 2,379   $ 1,577   $ 2,292  
    Gross margin   51 %   41 %   50 %
    Operating margin   37 %   25 %   38 %
           
    Mobile and Client Business Unit      
    Revenue $ 4,255   $ 3,760   $ 2,608  
    Gross margin   54 %   36 %   27 %
    Operating margin   47 %   29 %   15 %
           
    Automotive and Embedded Business Unit      
    Revenue $ 1,720   $ 1,434   $ 1,158  
    Gross margin   45 %   31 %   20 %
    Operating margin   36 %   20 %   7 %
                       

    Business Outlook

    The following table presents Micron’s guidance for the second quarter of 2026:

    FQ2-26 GAAP(1) Outlook Non-GAAP(2) Outlook
         
    Revenue $18.70 billion ± $400 million $18.70 billion ± $400 million
    Gross margin 67.0% ± 1.0% 68.0% ± 1.0%
    Operating expenses $1.56 billion ± $20 million $1.38 billion ± $20 million
    Diluted earnings per share $8.19 ± $0.20 $8.42 ± $0.20
         

    Further information regarding Micron’s business outlook is included in the prepared remarks and slides, which have been posted at investors.micron.com.

    Investor Webcast

    Micron will host a conference call on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time to investors.micron.comdiscuss its first quarter financial results and provide forward-looking guidance for its second quarter. A live webcast of the call will be available online at investors.micron.com. A webcast replay will be available for one year after the call.

    We encourage you to visit our website at micron.com throughout the quarter for the most current information on the company, including information on financial conferences that we may be attending. You can also follow us on LinkedIn, X (@MicronTech) and YouTube (@MicronTechnology).

    About Micron Technology, Inc.

    Micron Technology, Inc. is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND, and NOR memory and storage products. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and compute-intensive applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.

    © 2025 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding our industry, our strategic position, and our financial and operating results, including our guidance for the second quarter of 2026. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Please refer to the documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. These documents contain and identify important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements. These certain factors can be found at investors.micron.com/risk-factor. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. We are under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results.

    (1) GAAP represents U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.
    (2) Non-GAAP represents GAAP excluding the impact of certain activities, which management excludes in analyzing our operating results and understanding trends in our earnings; adjusted free cash flow; investments in capital expenditures, net; and business outlook. Further information regarding Micron’s use of non-GAAP measures and reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP measures are included within this press release.
    MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
    (Unaudited)
           
      1st Qtr. 4th Qtr. 1st Qtr.
      November 27,
    2025
    August 28,
    2025
    November 28,
    2024
           
    Revenue $ 13,643   $ 11,315   $ 8,709  
    Cost of goods sold   5,997     6,261     5,361  
    Gross margin   7,646     5,054     3,348  
           
    Research and development   1,171     1,047     888  
    Selling, general, and administrative   337     314     288  
    Other operating (income) expense, net   2     39     (2 )
    Operating income   6,136     3,654     2,174  
           
    Interest income   139     146     107  
    Interest expense   (74 )   (124 )   (118 )
    Other non-operating income (expense), net   (140 )   (45 )   (11 )
        6,061     3,631     2,152  
           
    Income tax (provision) benefit   (829 )   (429 )   (283 )
    Equity in net income (loss) of equity method investees   8     (1 )   1  
    Net income $ 5,240   $ 3,201   $ 1,870  
           
    Earnings per share      
    Basic $ 4.66   $ 2.86   $ 1.68  
    Diluted   4.60     2.83     1.67  
           
    Number of shares used in per share calculations      
    Basic   1,125     1,120     1,111  
    Diluted   1,138     1,131     1,122  
                       
    MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (In millions)
    (Unaudited)
         
    As of November 27,
    2025
    August 28,
    2025
         
    Assets    
    Cash and equivalents $ 9,731   $ 9,642  
    Short-term investments   587     665  
    Receivables   10,184     9,265  
    Inventories   8,205     8,355  
    Other current assets   958     914  
    Total current assets   29,665     28,841  
    Long-term marketable investments   1,697     1,629  
    Property, plant, and equipment   48,477     46,590  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets   700     736  
    Intangible assets   465     453  
    Deferred tax assets   641     616  
    Goodwill   1,150     1,150  
    Other noncurrent assets   3,176     2,783  
    Total assets $ 85,971   $ 82,798  
         
    Liabilities and equity    
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 9,796   $ 9,649  
    Current debt   569     560  
    Other current liabilities   1,695     1,245  
    Total current liabilities   12,060     11,454  
    Long-term debt   11,187     14,017  
    Noncurrent operating lease liabilities   669     701  
    Noncurrent unearned government incentives   1,148     1,018  
    Other noncurrent liabilities   2,101     1,443  
    Total liabilities   27,165     28,633  
         
    Commitments and contingencies    
         
    Shareholders’ equity    
    Common stock   127     127  
    Additional capital   13,610     13,339  
    Retained earnings   53,344     48,583  
    Treasury stock   (8,152 )   (7,852 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)   (123 )   (32 )
    Total equity   58,806     54,165  
    Total liabilities and equity $ 85,971   $ 82,798  
         
    MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
    (In millions)
    (Unaudited)
         
    Three months ended November 27,
    2025
    November 28,
    2024
         
    Cash flows from operating activities    
    Net income $ 5,240   $ 1,870  
    Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:    
    Depreciation expense and amortization of intangible assets   2,212     2,030  
    Stock-based compensation   290     220  
    Change in operating assets and liabilities:    
    Receivables   (871 )   (817 )
    Inventories   150     170  
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses   156     (241 )
    Other current liabilities   449     (161 )
    Other noncurrent liabilities   547     132  
    Other   238     41  
    Net cash provided by operating activities   8,411     3,244  
         
    Cash flows from investing activities    
    Expenditures for property, plant, and equipment   (5,389 )   (3,206 )
    Purchases of available-for-sale securities   (255 )   (377 )
    Proceeds from government incentives   878     65  
    Proceeds from maturities and sales of available-for-sale securities   268     428  
    Other   (96 )   (58 )
    Net cash used for investing activities   (4,594 )   (3,148 )
         
    Cash flows from financing activities    
    Repayments of debt   (2,943 )   (84 )
    Repurchases of common stock – withholdings on employee equity awards   (367 )   (207 )
    Repurchases of common stock – repurchase program   (300 )    
    Payments of dividends to shareholders   (134 )   (131 )
    Other   (1 )    
    Net cash used for financing activities   (3,745 )   (422 )
         
    Effect of changes in currency exchange rates on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash   14     (29 )
         
    Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash   86     (355 )
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of period   9,646     7,052  
    Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of period $ 9,732   $ 6,697  
                 
    MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES
    (In millions, except per share amounts)
           
      1st Qtr. 4th Qtr. 1st Qtr.
      November 27,
    2025
    August 28,
    2025
    November 28,
    2024
           
    GAAP gross margin $ 7,646   $ 5,054   $ 3,348  
    Stock-based compensation   107     115     90  
    Other           3  
    Non-GAAP gross margin $ 7,753   $ 5,169   $ 3,441  
           
    GAAP operating expenses $ 1,510   $ 1,400   $ 1,174  
    Stock-based compensation   (173 )   (147 )   (127 )
    Restructure and asset impairments       (38 )    
    Other   (3 )   (1 )    
    Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 1,334   $ 1,214   $ 1,047  
           
    GAAP operating income $ 6,136   $ 3,654   $ 2,174  
    Stock-based compensation   280     262     217  
    Restructure and asset impairments       38      
    Other   3     1     3  
    Non-GAAP operating income $ 6,419   $ 3,955   $ 2,394  
           
    GAAP net income $ 5,240   $ 3,201   $ 1,870  
    Stock-based compensation   280     262     217  
    Restructure and asset impairments       38      
    Loss on debt prepayments   130     9      
    Other   (20 )   1      
    Estimated tax effects of above and other tax adjustments   (148 )   (42 )   (50 )
    Non-GAAP net income $ 5,482   $ 3,469   $ 2,037  
           
    GAAP weighted-average common shares outstanding – Diluted   1,138     1,131     1,122  
    Adjustment for stock-based compensation   10     14     16  
    Non-GAAP weighted-average common shares outstanding – Diluted   1,148     1,145     1,138  
           
    GAAP diluted earnings per share $ 4.60   $ 2.83   $ 1.67  
    Effects of the above adjustments   0.18     0.20     0.12  
    Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share $ 4.78   $ 3.03   $ 1.79  
                       
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP MEASURES, Continued
           
      1st Qtr. 4th Qtr. 1st Qtr.
      November 27,
    2025
    August 28,
    2025
    November 28,
    2024
           
    GAAP net cash provided by operating activities $ 8,411   $ 5,730   $ 3,244  
           
    Expenditures for property, plant, and equipment   (5,389 )   (5,658 )   (3,206 )
    Proceeds from sales of property, plant, and equipment   6     20     9  
    Proceeds from government incentives   878     711     65  
    Investments in capital expenditures, net   (4,505 )   (4,927 )   (3,132 )
    Adjusted free cash flow $ 3,906   $ 803   $ 112  
                       

    The tables above reconcile GAAP to non-GAAP measures of gross margin, operating expenses, operating income, net income, diluted shares, diluted earnings per share, and adjusted free cash flow. The non-GAAP adjustments above may or may not be infrequent or nonrecurring in nature, but are a result of periodic or non-core operating activities. We believe this non-GAAP information is helpful in understanding trends and in analyzing our operating results and earnings. We are providing this information to investors to assist in performing analysis of our operating results. When evaluating performance and making decisions on how to allocate our resources, management uses this non-GAAP information and believes investors should have access to similar data when making their investment decisions. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures increase transparency by providing investors with useful supplemental information about the financial performance of our business, enabling enhanced comparison of our operating results between periods and with peer companies. The presentation of these adjusted amounts varies from amounts presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP and therefore may not be comparable to amounts reported by other companies. Our management excludes the following items as applicable in analyzing our operating results and understanding trends in our earnings:

    • Stock-based compensation;
    • Gains and losses from debt prepayments;
    • Restructure and asset impairments; and
    • The estimated tax effects of above, non-cash changes in net deferred income taxes, assessments of tax exposures, certain tax matters related to prior fiscal periods, and significant changes in tax law. The divergence between our GAAP and non-GAAP income tax (provision) benefit relates to the difference in our GAAP and non-GAAP estimated annual effective tax rates, which are computed separately.

    Non-GAAP diluted shares are adjusted for the impact of additional shares resulting from the exclusion of stock-based compensation from non-GAAP income.

    MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP OUTLOOK
                 
    FQ2-26   GAAP Outlook   Adjustments   Non-GAAP Outlook
                   
    Revenue $18.70 billion ± $400 million             —     $18.70 billion ± $400 million
    Gross margin 67.0% ± 1.0%     1.0% A   68.0% ± 1.0%
    Operating expenses $1.56 billion ± $20 million   $180 million B   $1.38 billion ± $20 million
    Diluted earnings per share(1) $8.19 ± $0.20   $0.23 A, B, C   $8.42 ± $0.20
    Non-GAAP Adjustments
    (in millions)
                   
    A Stock-based compensation – cost of goods sold   $ 125  
    B Stock-based compensation – research and development     119  
    B Stock-based compensation – sales, general, and administrative     61  
    C Tax effects of the above items and other tax adjustments     (48 )
                  $ 257  
     
    (1) GAAP earnings per share based on approximately 1.14 billion diluted shares and non-GAAP earnings per share based on approximately 1.15 billion diluted shares.
     

    The tables above reconcile our GAAP to non-GAAP guidance based on the current outlook. The guidance does not incorporate the impact of any potential business combinations, divestitures, additional restructuring activities, balance sheet valuation adjustments, strategic investments, financing transactions, and other significant transactions. The timing and impact of such items are dependent on future events that may be uncertain or outside of our control.


    Contacts:
    Satya Kumar
    Investor Relations
    satyakumar@micron.com
    (408) 450-6199
    Mark Plungy
    Media Relations
    mplungy@micron.com
    (408) 203-2910

    FAQ

    What were Micron (MU) fiscal Q1 2026 revenue and GAAP EPS on Dec 17, 2025?


    Micron reported $13.64B revenue and GAAP diluted EPS of $4.60 for FQ1 2026.

    How much operating cash flow did Micron (MU) generate in fiscal Q1 2026?


    Micron reported $8.41B of operating cash flow in FQ1 2026.

    What is Micron (MU) guidance for revenue and EPS for fiscal Q2 2026?


    Micron guided FQ2‑26 revenue of $18.70B ± $400M and GAAP diluted EPS of $8.19 ± $0.20.

    Did Micron (MU) declare a dividend and when will it be paid?


    Yes. Micron declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.115 per share, payable Jan 14, 2026 to holders of record Dec 29, 2025.

    What were Micron’s capital expenditures and adjusted free cash flow in FQ1 2026?


    Capital expenditures were $4.5B and adjusted free cash flow was $3.9B in FQ1 2026.

    How much cash and marketable investments did Micron (MU) hold at the end of FQ1 2026?


    Micron ended FQ1 2026 with $12.0B of cash, marketable investments, and restricted cash.

     

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