Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU | MU Price Prediction) has been one of the market’s most electrifying performers over the past year. Shares are up 323% over the past 12 months and have gained 28% year-to-date. The stock touched a 52-week high of $455.50 before pulling back. Most analysts carry a consensus target of $415.37, reflecting a measured outlook on valuation.
Wells Fargo stands apart. The firm recently raised its price target to $470 from $410, maintaining an Overweight rating, from current levels near $403.78. That target sits well above the Street consensus of $415.37. But can MU realistically reach $470 by end of 2026?
Wells Fargo’s $470 MU Prediction
Wells Fargo’s conviction rests on two pillars: Micron’s locked-in HBM4 order book and an accelerating margin profile. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra confirmed on the Q1 FY2026 earnings call that “we have completed agreements on price and volume for our entire calendar 2026 HBM supply, including Micron’s industry-leading HBM4.” The firm now models peak EPS of $50 to $60 per share and through-cycle EPS of $30 to $40 per share, a range that would represent a significant premium to current trading levels.
Key Drivers of MU Stock Performance
- HBM4 Confidence: Micron has sold out its entire 2026 HBM supply, with management projecting the HBM total addressable market to grow from approximately $35 billion in 2025 to around $100 billion in 2028. That structural demand visibility is the foundation of long-term compounding.
- Price Inflation: DRAM and NAND pricing is expected to rise as AI demand for HBM and DDR5 intensifies. Analysts have significantly raised price targets for Micron on expectations of substantial increases in DRAM and NAND pricing due to high demand for HBM and DDR5 for AI systems. Higher pricing flows directly to gross margin, which expanded from 38.4% a year ago to 56.0% in Q1 FY2026, with Q2 guidance pointing to 68.0% non-GAAP gross margin.
- LTA Visibility: Micron is securing multiyear contracts with hyperscalers, with order books reportedly extending into 2027. A partnership with Applied Materials on next-generation DRAM and HBM development further cements long-term supply chain positioning.
What Will It Take for MU to Reach $470?
At 1.125 billion shares outstanding, getting there likely requires three things: Q2 FY2026 results meeting or exceeding guidance of $18.70 billion in revenue and $8.42 non-GAAP EPS; continued HBM4 pricing strength through mid-2026; and no meaningful deterioration in AI infrastructure spending among hyperscalers. Prediction markets currently assign a 96.7% probability that Micron beats its upcoming quarterly earnings, suggesting the first condition is widely expected.
The primary risk is a cooling in AI infrastructure sentiment that could pressure HBM pricing and order commitments. Still, with fully committed 2026 HBM supply, a margin structure inflecting toward 68%, and Wells Fargo’s through-cycle EPS framework pointing well above current consensus, the $470 target reflects the firm’s view of the AI memory cycle.