Micron Technology falls 5.1% premarket as semiconductor selloff hits memory stocks

Fiona Craig Mon, July 13, 2026 at 5:26 AM PDT 2 min read

Micron Falls in Broad Memory Sector Retreat

Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) shares dropped 5.1% in premarket trading on Monday to $929.50, as a sharp selloff across the global semiconductor sector weighed heavily on memory-chip manufacturers.

The weakness followed a record decline in South Korean rival SK Hynix, whose shares tumbled more than 15% after investors locked in profits following last week's Nasdaq debut.

SK Hynix Decline Sends Shockwaves Through Chip Sector

Heavy selling in SK Hynix, together with losses in Samsung Electronics, pushed South Korea's KOSPI index down 9%, triggering a temporary 20-minute trading halt.

The negative sentiment quickly spread across the memory industry, dragging lower shares of SanDisk, Western Digital, and Seagate alongside Micron.

The broad-based move reflected growing investor caution after a strong rally in AI-related semiconductor stocks over the past year.

Short Position and Insider Sales Add to Pressure

Investor sentiment toward Micron has also been affected by company-specific developments:

• Michael Burry's bearish bet: High-profile investor Michael Burry established a put-option position against the stock near $1,051.87 on July 1, 2026, shortly after Micron approached record highs following a rally of nearly 700% over the previous year. The bearish position has attracted considerable market attention and added to negative short-term sentiment.

• Insider selling at highest level since 2010: CEO Sanjay Mehrotra has been selling shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Although such plans are commonly used by executives, the scale of the recent sales has drawn increased scrutiny from investors.

Broader Market Remains Resilient

The weakness in Micron contrasted with the wider U.S. equity market, where:

• The S&P 500 gained 0.4%
• The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%
• The Nasdaq Composite added 0.3%

The divergence suggests that Monday's decline was driven primarily by sector-specific concerns rather than broader macroeconomic conditions.

Focus Turns to Industry Updates

The combination of weaker expectations surrounding SK Hynix, increased investor caution, and continued volatility across AI-related semiconductor stocks has created a more challenging near-term backdrop for Micron.

With the company's next earnings report not scheduled until September 22, 2026, investor sentiment is likely to remain closely tied to developments across the memory-chip industry and broader trends in artificial intelligence spending.

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