Since October 2025, memory chips sold for the PC (desktop) market soared by up to 500%. Instead of building its market share, Micron (MU) announced it would shut down Crucial, its consumer division. It is pivoting its sales to supply memory chips for the artificial intelligence server sector.
MU shares jumped by 3.41% on Monday to close at a new high of $294.50. The rise happened despite insider Steven Gomo, a director at Micron, selling 5,000 shares for $1.32 million.
Thanks to strong demand and limited supply, expect memory prices to rise steadily in 2026.
In the metals sector, silver (SLV) dropped by 7.19%. This made its one-day gain of 10% on December 26 look temporary. The CME raised margin requirements for the metal. CME Group said that risk management is the reason for the move. Gold (GLD) prices fell, too, along with Bitcoin (BTC-USD), which closed at $87,209.
Silver’s run-up has a good chance of continuing into 2026. In Shanghai, the exchange does not allow for trading a silver contract unless the physical metal exists in the vault. This prevents manipulation and speculation.
After gold’s daily drop, Newmont (NEM) led the decline with shares falling by 5.64%. Gold (GOLD) dropped by 3.38% to close at $33.42. Copper and gold miner Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) lost nearly 3% to close at around $51.50.
