DRAM prices will rise further claims Micron exec

Micron Technology VP Kipp Bedard yesterday warned PC vendors to expect DRAM prices to rise as demand accelerates and inventory levels fall. Speaking at a BancBoston Robertson Stephens semiconductor conference, Bedard said 64Mb chips had risen in price through July from $4.50 to $4.75, and that they would increase to $5.25 through August. Bedard also told attendees to expect the DRAM industry to "talk more about shortages here and there". However, his comments go against the findings of market research firm ICIS-LOR, which recently reported that its 30-day rolling average price of 64Mb DRAMs shows the pricing trend is still downwards. Compared with the 30-day average for the week to 2 July, prices are down 1.15 per cent in North America, unchanged in Europe and down 2.89 per cent in Asia. ICIS-LOR also reported there are no shortages in sight. ®