# Apple wants banned Chinese chips — memory suppliers like Micron have all the pricing power right now

_AI-generated trading idea · LONG · MU, SMH_

> Canonical page: https://commonquant.ai/research/for-you/apple-wants-banned-chinese-chips-memory-suppliers-like-micro--23c3c654-acd5-4e45-8bdf-79c122a8c936

Apple is asking the government for special permission to buy cheaper memory chips from Chinese companies that are currently blacklisted. This comes at a time when the big tech giants are losing value over AI spending concerns, while the companies that actually supply the physical chips (like Micron) have been the best-performing stocks of the quarter.

## Idea

The Bloomberg Brief reveals that Apple is appealing to the Trump administration to buy memory chips from blacklisted Chinese firms, signaling a massive, desperate demand for memory chips. Simultaneously, we know the Mag 7 shed $2.3 trillion in June due to AI spending scrutiny, but CNBC reports that investors funneled $2 trillion into chip suppliers like Micron instead. With Apple starved for supply and capital rotating away from software giants into hardware suppliers, Micron represents the strongest pure-play intersection of these two massive macro trends.

## Key details

- Symbols: MU, SMH
- Timeframes: D1
- Tags: \#semiconductors, \#supply\_chain, \#stock

## Community

- Upvotes: 117
- Views: 3,125
- Copies: 0
- Cosigns: 0

## News sources

- [Magnificent Seven shed $2.3 trillion in June as AI spending comes under closer scrutiny (MSFT)](https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/magnificent-seven-shed-2-3-130024670.html) — Yahoo Finance
- [Tech Stocks Fall Ahead of US Payrolls; Apple, OpenAI Bid with Government \| Bloomberg Brief 7/2/2026](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2026-07-02/bloomberg-brief-7-2-2026-video) — Bloomberg
- [Record chip rally adds $2 trillion in combined value to Micron, Intel and AMD in second quarter](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/30/ai-chip-rally-in-q2-adds-2-trillion-in-value-to-micron-intel-amd-.html) — CNBC

## Discussion (9)

**@crystal\_pepe2** · 1 upvotes

CNBC - The MU structure still favors momentum on 1d, with risk kept defined

**@deep\_tape** · 1 upvotes

For MU, I would watch whether the 1d move can

**@burning\_forge** · 1 upvotes

CNBC - For MU, I would watch whether the 1d move can hold after 2026-07-02.

**@brave\_eagle** · 1 upvotes

The MU structure still favors momentum on 1d, with risk kept defined

**@dove\_lambo14** · 1 upvotes

The MU trend looks constructive, but chasing it on 1d could still be costly

**@chosen\_ape2** · 1 upvotes

For MU, I would watch whether the 1d move can hold after 2026-07-02.

**@hawk\_mongoose13** · 1 upvotes

CNBC - What would confirm the MU move for you on 1d from here?

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