February 27, 2026 /SemiMedia/ — The global memory market is expected to expand sharply in 2026, supported mainly by higher pricing and stronger artificial intelligence demand, according to a report released on Feb. 24 by Hanwha Investment & Securities.

The report projects the market will reach about $574.9 billion in 2026, up 159% from a year earlier and roughly 3.6 times the size recorded in 2018.

DRAM revenue is forecast to rise 192% year on year to $439.9 billion, while the NAND flash segment is expected to grow 88% to $135.0 billion. The expansion is seen as largely price-driven rather than volume-led.

Average DRAM pricing is projected to increase to about $1.23 per Gb in 2026 from $0.52 in 2025, marking a 138% jump. NAND pricing is expected to climb more than 65% over the same period to roughly $0.12 per Gb.

The report said demand recovery is helping lift prices, but supply constraints remain the bigger factor. Wider adoption of high bandwidth memory (HBM) could also reduce earnings volatility for memory makers and prompt investors to reassess the sector’s stability.

HBM remains a key competitive focus. SK hynix is expected to deliver strong profit growth through 2026 on HBM momentum, with the trend likely to extend into 2027.

However, the report named Samsung Electronics as the top pick. It expects the company to begin supplying HBM4 to North American AI GPU customers from 2026, supported by its 1c DRAM process and in-house 4nm base die production.