NAND flash, a major segment in the memory chip market, is set to grow by over 20 percent in sales in the fourth quarter of this year, suggesting a promising turnaround for South Korean semiconductor manufacturers.

According to a report by market research firm TrendForce on Tuesday, the global NAND market saw a 2.9 percent growth in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter, successfully reversing a declining trend.

The outlook for the fourth quarter indicates a growth of over 20 percent.

TrendForce attributed the growth to large-scale output cuts by market leaders like Samsung Electronics Co., adding that NAND buyers expected a decrease in market supply, prompting a shift towards more aggressive procurement strategies.

Maintaining its position at the top with a market share of 31.4 percent in the third quarter, Samsung Electronics experienced a 1~3 percent decline in total shipments, but its average selling price (ASP) rose by 1~3 percent. This resulted in a revenue of $29 billion, matching the previous quarter and setting the foundation for the rebound.

The third quarter saw a remarkable performance from SK hynix Inc. and Solidigm. Reviving demand for high-capacity products in PCs and smartphones led to a revenue increase of 11.9 percent on-year to $18.6 billion. Their market share also rose by 1.6 percentage points to 20.2 percent compared to the previous quarter.

In contrast, Japan’s Kioxia faced challenges as its revenue dropped by 8.6 percent to around $1.33 billion compared to the previous quarter, ceding its third position in market share to Western Digital. TrendForce attributed the decline to order delays from U.S. smartphone brands, which caused shipments to fall by up to 15 percent.

TrendForce, in the meantime, highlighted a clear recovery in the DRAM market on Monday.

Global DRAM market revenue in the third quarter surged by 18.0 percent to $134.8 billion compared to the previous quarter.

Samsung Electronics reported a revenue of $5.25 billion, up nearly 16 percent from the previous quarter. SK hynix and Micron’s DRAM sales stood at $4.62 billion, up by 34.4 percent, and $3.07 billion, up by 4.2 percent, respectively, compared to the previous quarter.

By Oh Chan-jong and Minu Kim

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