Why Micron, AMD and SanDisk are leading today’s pre-market rally

Micron, AMD and SanDisk rose about 3% in early pre-market trading on Tuesday as investors rebuilt positions in volatile AI-linked semiconductor stocks.

The gains followed stronger-than-expected results from Palantir, whose accelerating revenue and upgraded annual outlook showed companies moving beyond AI trials and spending on deployments.

Nasdaq futures advanced as the report improved sentiment across software, data-centre and chip shares.

The stocks have catalysts. AMD reports after Tuesday’s closing bell, SanDisk follows on Wednesday, while Micron is recovering as investors reconsider whether fears over Chinese competition and future memory supply have moved too far.

AMD’s rally is a bet on tonight’s earnings

AMD is the most immediate event-driven trade as the company will publish second-quarter results after the market closes on August 4 and hold its conference call at 5 PM ET.

Management previously guided for revenue of about $11.2 billion (approx. £8.5 billion), plus or minus $300 million (approx. £227.1 million).

Investors will focus on whether demand for EPYC server processors and Instinct AI accelerators remains strong enough to justify expectations embedded in the shares.

Susquehanna analyst Christopher Rolland said demand for AMD’s EPYC chips remained “robust”, MarketWatch reported.

Wall Street expects the data-centre business to remain AMD’s main growth engine, although margins and the timing of revenue from its Helios rack-scale systems will be important.

William Blair analysts said AMD was “now on the offense to grab share,” citing its product roadmap, open standards and customer commitments.

Micron and SanDisk revive the shortage trade

Micron and SanDisk are benefiting from an argument that July’s memory-stock correction became too pessimistic.

Both companies were hit as investors worried that China’s CXMT and investment by established manufacturers could eventually create excess supply.

Yet those concerns remain more relevant to future years than today’s tight market.

Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore wrote that AI is consuming so much DRAM that too little remains for PCs and smartphones, according to MarketWatch.

He said the shortage showed no clear sign of easing and warned against assuming the current cycle will follow earlier downturns.

That argument matters for Micron, whose shares initially fell on Monday after reports of another possible CXMT plant before recovering.

Morningstar’s William Kerwin said that CXMT accounted for only about 6% of global DRAM output last year, limiting its immediate impact.

SanDisk’s Wednesday report will test the NAND side of the thesis. Its fiscal fourth-quarter call is scheduled for 4.30pm ET.

Investors want evidence that data-centre storage demand and constrained supply are supporting prices, margins and guidance.

Palantir provides a fresh AI demand signal

Palantir reported second-quarter revenue of $1.9 billion (approx. £1.5 billion), up 93% from a year earlier, and raised its 2026 sales forecast to as much as $8.2 billion (approx. £6.2 billion).

The results pushed its shares sharply higher before Tuesday’s open.

The positive read-through is straightforward. Wider AI deployment requires more server processors, memory and storage, supporting the markets for AMD, Micron and SanDisk.

However, one software company’s results cannot settle every semiconductor debate.

AMD must convert demand into attractive margins, while Micron and SanDisk must show that pricing strength can survive capacity additions.