Samsung Electronics leads global DRAM market share in Q2; SK Hynix narrowly holds second place

Samsung Electronics held onto its top spot in the global DRAM market share for the second quarter, from April to June. SK Hynix narrowly maintained its second position, with the gap between it and U.S. competitor Micron shrinking to a mere 1% point. This intense competition highlights the escalating race among U.S. and Chinese companies in the market.

According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Samsung Electronics' global DRAM market share, based on sales revenue, was 39% in the second quarter, a 1% point increase from the previous quarter. Samsung has held the number one position in the global DRAM market since the fourth quarter of last year.

In contrast, SK Hynix's market share fell to 26% in the second quarter, a 3% point decrease from the prior quarter. Micron's share rose from 22% to 25% in the same period, bringing the gap to just 1% point. This close competition is attributed to Micron significantly boosting its DRAM sales, partly due to the price of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), a key product for SK Hynix, declining year-on-year.

Chinese company CXMT ranked fourth with a 7% market share, a 1% point decrease from the previous quarter. However, Counterpoint Research noted that CXMT's second-quarter revenue surged by 716% year-on-year, making it the fastest-growing DRAM supplier globally, driven by solid domestic demand for general-purpose DRAM and expanded production capacity.

The research firm anticipates that the price decline for High Bandwidth Memory will slow down starting in the third quarter, with the launch of new products by U.S. company Nvidia. Prices are expected to rebound next year, following the trend of general-purpose DRAM.