Korea DRAM Export Prices Surge 401% YoY in Aug; SK Hynix Warns of Tightest Memory Year

The 401% surge in DRAM export prices underscores a structural shift in memory markets, where AI-driven demand is now the dominant pricing force. SK Hynix's warning that next year could be the tightest on record suggests this isn't a cyclical blip but a sustained supply-demand imbalance. For the broader RWA and tech sectors, this raises input cost pressures for hardware-dependent businesses, while memory makers gain pricing power. The key question is whether AI demand remains robust enough to absorb capacity expansions, or if we see a repeat of past boom-bust cycles once supply catches up.