Micron’s losses Samsung’s gains

Micron Technologies Inc., the world’s second-largest maker of computer memory chips, yesterday posted a ninth consecutive month of losses after restructuring and related charges. Experts say that the U.S. chipmaker’s losses can be good news to Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co., the No. 1 memory-chip manufacturer. Experts said yesterday that Micron’s continued losses were a negative factor for the global dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, chip market in a short term. But for a longer term, the losses might bring industry restructuring, which would benefit Samsung. The Idaho-based company reported a net loss of $619.2 million for the second fiscal quarter ended in February, the ninth straight quarter of losses. “Micron’s consecutive losses show that the two rivals leading the global DRAM industry are being differentiated to a greater degree,” Woori Securities Co. said in a report. “That means that in the even of falling DRAM prices, only Samsung Electronics can show downward rigidity in its share price.” The equity house noted that with continuing losses, Micron could face difficulties making facility investment. by Song Sang-hoon