Key Highlights

● Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both fell in Thursday's Asian session.

● The Kospi dropped 0.61%.

● SK Hynix's US-traded shares were down about 3.2% premarket.

● Pressure crossed the Pacific to Micron and Sandisk.

Seoul delivered the first verdict on memory stocks. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix both fell during Thursday's Asian session, helping pull South Korea's Kospi down 0.61%. 12. By US premarket trading, the pressure had crossed the Pacific: SK Hynix's US-traded shares were down about 3.2% and Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) about 2.7%.

The moves follow a powerful rally. On Wednesday, Micron surged 11.89% and Sandisk (NASDAQ:SNDK) jumped 13.69%, among the strongest performers in a session when the PHLX Semiconductor index rose 5.7%, with every component higher. The Kospi had gained 2.60% the same day.

Why memory is so sensitive to Nvidia

Memory makers are among the biggest suppliers to the AI build-out. Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)'s accelerators rely on high-bandwidth memory stacked alongside its processors, and SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron are the main producers of those chips. Data Center Demand for storage has also lifted flash memory makers such as Sandisk.

That makes the group a natural channel for any shock to Nvidia. Reports said Wednesday evening that Nvidia's board was preparing to decide whether to oust CEO Jensen Huang; reports said directors met Wednesday without a final decision. The reports have not been independently confirmed. Nvidia was down roughly 6% to 7% premarket after falling about 8% to 8.6% after hours.

The logic for memory stocks is indirect. A Leadership change would not by itself alter orders already placed, but investors may worry about execution, product timing or customer confidence, and memory is a cyclical Business where expectations can swing quickly.

Micron and Sandisk at the open

Micron is a member of both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100, so its moves feed directly into the major benchmarks, and it has become one of the largest beneficiaries of AI-driven memory demand. Its premarket slip of about 2.7% gives back only a fraction of Wednesday's gain.

With a nearly 14% jump on Wednesday, it is the kind of high-momentum name that traders often watch for profit-taking when the sector turns. There was no company-specific news for Sandisk in the materials reviewed, so it is likely trading with the memory group and the broader semiconductor tape.

Not every chipmaker is falling. AMD (NASDAQ:AMD) was up about 3% to 3.6% and Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) about 2.5% to 3% premarket, as investors weighed the possibility of customers diversifying away from Nvidia. Memory makers, by contrast, sell to Nvidia and its rivals alike, so a shift in Market Share among accelerator designers would not necessarily reduce total memory demand.

What to Watch Next on Korea Memory Makers Micron

The bullish counterpoint is that AI memory demand depends on overall data center spending, not on who runs Nvidia. CoreWeave (NASDAQ:CRWV), for example, raised its 2026 Revenue forecast to $13.0 billion to $13.3 billion this week, a sign that capacity spending remains strong. Wednesday's late surge also shows how quickly buyers have been willing to step in.

The bearish view is that memory stocks had rallied sharply and that any wobble in AI sentiment tends to hit cyclical chip names hardest. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)'s reported plan to scale back some neocloud partnerships, as, is another variable for capacity demand.

The next checkpoint comes after the US bell Thursday, when Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) reports results; the chip-equipment maker is expected to post revenue of about $10.25 billion, and its commentary on memory customers will be closely followed. Nvidia's own fiscal third-quarter report on Nov. 17 after the bell will be the larger test, with any comments on Supply and memory constraints in focus.