According to TrendForce, a renowned analyst firm, there is an anticipated surge in NAND flash memory prices, with a projected increase of more than 50% throughout the year 2024. This price hike is attributed to major manufacturers strategically reducing production levels to rectify excessive inventory and stabilize the market's sales prices. TrendForce further notes that for the prominent manufacturers to attain a break-even point on NAND flash memory production, prices must escalate by no less than 40%.
Consequently, key industry players like Samsung have already curtailed their NAND chip production a few months ago, reallocating their resources towards the more profitable production of DRAM modules.
As of the third quarter of 2023, Samsung held the global lead as the largest manufacturer of NAND flash memory, boasting a substantial market share of 31.4%. Following closely behind, SK Group secured the second position with a 20.2% market share. Western Digital claimed the third spot with a market share of 16.9%, while Japan's Kioxia secured a 14.5% market share. Rounding out the top five, Micron held a market share of 12.5%. This landscape reflects the competitive dynamics within the NAND flash memory industry.
