AI Memory Stocks Soar 850% in H1 2026 as Bitcoin and Gold Drop 28%
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Jun 27
AI Memory Stocks Soar 850% in H1 2026 as Bitcoin and Gold Drop 28%
1 articles · Updated · Euronews · Jun 27
Summary
SanDisk jumped more than 850% in the first half, leading a surge in AI infrastructure trades as Western Digital, Micron and Seagate all more than tripled.
Tight supply of high-speed memory and storage collided with booming data-center demand from major tech groups racing to build out AI capacity.
That trade spread across markets: South Korea's KOSPI doubled, Japan's Nikkei rose about 40% and the MSCI Emerging Markets index gained roughly 27%, while Europe posted smaller advances.
Bitcoin fell 28% year to date and gold slid about 28% from its January record of $5,594.82 an ounce, as higher yields and cash rates dulled traditional haven demand.
The rally has already started to wobble, with memory names hit in a recent tech sell-off and former AI favorites Meta and Microsoft down 14% and 24%.
Is the AI infrastructure boom a sustainable super-cycle or the biggest tech bubble in history?
With data centers becoming military targets, how is the AI arms race reshaping global conflict?
Could the AI boom's power demand and hidden credit risks trigger the next global crisis?
AI Memory Stocks Surge Over 500% in 2026: Market Rally, Risks, and the Road Ahead
Overview
In June 2026, markets faced sharp volatility, with significant corrections in sectors like AI memory stocks and commodities. Gold prices notably declined, mainly due to a surge in oil prices. Many countries that buy large amounts of gold are also major energy importers, so higher oil costs left them with fewer U.S. dollars to spend on gold, reducing demand and pushing prices down. This period of turmoil highlighted how interconnected global markets are, as shifts in one sector, like energy, can quickly impact others, such as precious metals, reflecting the complex dynamics driving recent market movements.