Updated 22 October 2026. Micron (MU) closed at $913.67 on Wednesday 21 October, up $17.60 or 1.96 percent, and slipped to $898.43 in after-hours trading at 19:59 ET (StockAnalysis). At 9 a.m. Taiwan time on Thursday the union at Micron’s Taoyuan DRAM fab began a 24-hour strike after Wednesday’s talks produced no profit-sharing plan; Taiwan’s Central News Agency counted 11 union officials taking part at the start (TradingKey, CNA). Micron settled with the larger Taichung union on Tuesday. Western Digital reports after Thursday’s close, the first memory read-through before Micron’s own December print. Verdict: the strike is a headline, not yet a supply event; WDC’s guide is the number that moves memory tonight. Reference levels: $850 below, $1,000 above.
Key facts
- Wednesday close: $913.67, up 1.96 percent, range $889.45-$928.45, after a $896.07 close on Tuesday. After hours $898.43, down 1.67 percent at 19:59 ET. Market cap $1.03 trillion. 52-week range $192.40-$1,255.00. Trailing P/E 12.3, forward 5.2 (StockAnalysis, Yahoo Finance).
- The strike: 24 hours from 9 a.m. Thursday 22 October to 9 a.m. Friday, Taiwan time, at the Taoyuan plant in Hwaya Technology Park, which focuses on DRAM wafer fabrication. About 3,000 people work there, roughly 2,400 of them union members; 1,994 of 2,012 who voted on 7 October authorised the action. CNA reported 11 union officials participating at the start; the scale of participation and any effect on output were unconfirmed (TradingKey, 22 October).
- The demand: 15 percent of Micron’s operating profit allocated to employees through an “open and transparent long-term profit-sharing mechanism.” Micron’s fiscal 2026 incentive, announced 11 September, is a one-time NT$1 million cash bonus per eligible Taiwan employee plus annual performance bonuses and stock awards. The union’s position: “a one-time bonus cannot replace a long-term profit-sharing system” (TradingKey).
- Taichung settled: Micron and the Taichung union signed a labour-management agreement on 21 October and withdrew the mediation set for 22 October. Taichung’s Houli Science Park site is Micron’s largest in Taiwan with about 12,300 of its roughly 15,000 Taiwan employees. Micron has invested more than T$1.6 trillion, about $49 billion, in Taiwan (TradingKey, Reuters via Yahoo Finance).
- Western Digital tonight: fiscal Q1 2027 results after the close. Consensus EPS runs $4.04-$4.07 on revenue of about $4.14 billion (Benzinga, Zacks); the company guided $3.85-$4.15 on $4.0-$4.2 billion. In August WDC beat and the stock still fell (Motley Fool).
- Street view: 49 analysts, Strong Buy, average target $1,560.57, 71 percent above Wednesday’s close (StockAnalysis). Cantor Fitzgerald’s CJ Muse has a $2,000 target on customer agreements he says lock in up to half of revenue at high gross margins; Susquehanna is at $2,000, Melius at $2,200. MarketBeat notes the stock is up more than 200 percent this year and facing profit-taking.
- Supply: memory supply is tight and management has said it does not expect supply and demand to rebalance soon (Reuters via Yahoo Finance). Next earnings are estimated for 23 December (Yahoo Finance).
What the strike is and is not
It is a one-day warning action at the smaller of Micron’s two Taiwan fabs, called to force a profit-sharing formula rather than a bigger one-off bonus. It is not, on Thursday morning’s evidence, a production stoppage: CNA counted 11 officials at the start, TradingKey says there is no sufficient evidence of disrupted output, and the union will poll members on the company’s proposal before deciding its next step. Micron took the larger risk off the table on Tuesday by signing with Taichung, where four fifths of its Taiwan workforce sit.
The reason the headline still matters is the supply backdrop. memory supply is tight, management does not expect the market to rebalance soon, and the memory shortage is the entire bull case, as we set out when CXMT’s 4F2 announcement knocked the stock in mid-October. A fab that makes DRAM wafers going quiet for a day is a rounding error; a strike that becomes a profit-sharing precedent across 15,000 Taiwan employees is a margin question, and Taoyuan’s demand is 15 percent of operating profit.
Western Digital is the real catalyst tonight
WDC reports after the close with consensus around $4.05 of EPS on $4.14 billion of revenue, against a guide of $3.85-$4.15. The number that moves Micron is the forward quarter: whether hard-drive and storage demand from AI data centres is still accelerating and whether pricing holds. Sandisk, the NAND business WDC spun out, reports on 29 October, covered in our Sandisk piece. The August precedent cuts both ways: WDC beat and fell, because expectations were already priced. Micron’s after-hours dip to $898 on Wednesday, before any of this, says the same thing about positioning after a 200 percent year.
Micron today: bull, base and bear
| Scenario | MU | What has to happen | Anchor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear | $850 | WDC guides flat or lower, the Taoyuan union votes to extend the action, and profit-taking resumes. | About 7 percent below Wednesday’s $913.67, under Tuesday’s $896.07 close and Wednesday’s $889.45 low. |
| Base | $890-$930 | The strike ends Friday morning without output loss and WDC lands inside its guide. | Wednesday’s $889.45-$928.45 range (StockAnalysis). |
| Bull | $1,000 | WDC raises its guide on AI storage demand and the Taoyuan poll accepts Micron’s proposal, reopening the move toward the $1,255 high. | About 9 percent above Wednesday’s close; the round number between the close and the 52-week high, and still 36 percent under the $1,560.57 average target. |
The bear case sits below Wednesday’s close. These are reference levels measured from the verified quotes, not forecasts.
What to watch on Thursday
- Taoyuan participation: the CNA count through the day. Officials only means a symbolic action; a line stoppage changes the story.
- The union poll: on Micron’s proposal, which decides whether the action repeats.
- After the close: Western Digital’s fiscal Q1 and its December-quarter guide.
- Friday 9 a.m. Taiwan: the strike’s scheduled end.
Quick take: Micron is $913.67, $898 after hours, as the Taoyuan union stages a 24-hour strike for a 15 percent profit-share and Micron settles with the bigger Taichung union. Eleven officials at the start is not a supply event. Western Digital’s print tonight is. Expect $890-$930. A weak WDC guide and an extended strike open $850. A raised guide and a settled poll open $1,000.
FAQ
What is the Micron stock price today?
MU closed at $913.67 on Wednesday 21 October 2026, up 1.96 percent, and traded at $898.43 after hours at 19:59 ET (StockAnalysis).
Is the Micron strike in Taiwan happening?
Yes. The Taoyuan union began a 24-hour strike at 9 a.m. local time on Thursday 22 October, due to end at 9 a.m. Friday. CNA reported 11 union officials taking part at the start (TradingKey).
What does the union want?
A permanent system giving employees 15 percent of Micron’s operating profit, instead of the one-time NT$1 million bonus in the fiscal 2026 incentive plan (TradingKey).
Will the strike affect memory supply?
There is no evidence of disrupted output so far. Taoyuan employs about 3,000 of Micron’s 15,000 Taiwan staff; the larger Taichung site signed an agreement on 21 October (TradingKey).
When does Micron report earnings?
The next report is estimated for 23 December 2026 (Yahoo Finance). Western Digital reports on 22 October and Sandisk on 29 October, both after the close.
What is the analyst price target for Micron?
The average of 49 analysts is $1,560.57 with a Strong Buy consensus (StockAnalysis). Cantor Fitzgerald and Susquehanna are at $2,000, Melius at $2,200.
Sources: StockAnalysis (close, after-hours, range, market cap, valuation, analyst consensus, 21 October 2026); Yahoo Finance and Google Finance (close cross-check, next earnings date); TradingKey and Taiwan’s Central News Agency (strike timing, participation, union demands, Micron’s incentive plan, Taichung agreement, workforce figures, 22 October); Reuters via Yahoo Finance (Taiwan investment, supply commentary, 20 October); Zacks, Benzinga and Motley Fool (Western Digital date, consensus, guidance, August precedent); Cantor Fitzgerald, Susquehanna and Melius targets via KuCoin and Investing.com; MarketBeat (year-to-date gain, 21 October).
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Stock prices are volatile. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial adviser before making investment decisions.