For quite some time, Micron Technology MU and Seagate Technology Holdings plc STX have been benefiting from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, as rising data needs fuel demand for memory and storage solutions.
Both stocks have delivered exceptional returns of more than 600% over the past year. Let us thus see in detail why they still have further upside potential, and what makes them a compelling buy –
Micron Rides AI Wave With HBM Growth
Micron is currently enjoying strong pricing power as its state-of-the-art high-bandwidth memory (“HBM”) chips are in high demand amid tight supply conditions. Demand for HBM chips has skyrocketed as hyperscalers continue to increase investments in AI infrastructure. These HBM chips can handle complex workloads efficiently while reducing power usage.
Micron now expects revenues to improve to $33.5 billion in the fiscal third quarter of 2026 from $23.86 billion in the fiscal second quarter of 2026 due to the high demand for HBM chips, according to investors.micron.com. The company’s expectations of a solid gross margin of about 81% for the fiscal third quarter of 2026 also reflect strong financial momentum and long-term growth outlook.
Supply constraints for Micron’s highly sought-after NAND flash chips are expected to continue through mid-next year, which could further strengthen margins. As a result, the company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 626.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $60.23 for MU’s earnings per share (EPS) is up 392.9% year over year (read more: Micron vs. NVIDIA: One AI Stock Is a Clear Buy Right Now).
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Seagate’s Nearline Business Fuels Growth
Seagate reported revenues of $3.11 billion in the fiscal third quarter of 2026, up 44% year over year, according to investors.seagate.com. Such revenue growth is exceptional for a hardware company, indicating strong demand for Seagate’s high-capacity storage products. Seagate’s nearline storage business, known for providing high-capacity data center drives, is the company’s key growth engine.
But revenue growth is not a one-time event. It is expected to continue in the next quarter as well. For the fiscal fourth quarter of 2026, Seagate expects revenues of $3.45 billion, plus or minus $100 million. Similarly, the company expects non-GAAP diluted EPS of $5, plus or minus $0.2, in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2026, up from $4.1 in the fiscal third quarter of 2026. The company’s solid non-GAAP gross margin of 47% in the fiscal third quarter of 2026 indicates that profitability is improving, the company is operationally efficient, and has pricing power.
Seagate’s free cash flow of $953 million in the fiscal third quarter of 2026 also indicates that the company now has sufficient funds to support future investments. As a result, the company’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 84.3%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $14.93 for STX’s EPS is up 51% year over year.
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Both Micron and Seagate currently have a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is Here
The AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.
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Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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