CXMT Q1 revenue surges 719% to $7.4bn, lifting Chinese chip stocks
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT), the Hefei-based DRAM producer, reported first-quarter revenue of 50.8 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion) — a 719 per cent year-on-year jump — sending a broad rally through Chinese memory chip stocks on Monday, 18 May 2026. The blowout figures, disclosed in an updated listing prospectus, underscore how a global memory shortage that began in the second half of 2025 is reshaping China's semiconductor supply chain.
Record profits reverse prior-year losses
CXMT posted first-quarter net profit of 33.01 billion yuan, swinging sharply from a net loss of 2.83 billion yuan in the same period a year earlier. The company attributed the turnaround to fast-rising DRAM prices, expanding sales volumes, and an improved product mix, according to the prospectus filing.
Looking ahead, CXMT forecast first-half 2026 revenue of 110 billion yuan to 120 billion yuan, against 15.44 billion yuan in the first half of 2025. First-half net profit is projected at 66 billion yuan to 75 billion yuan, reversing losses recorded in the year-earlier period.
Market reaction: shareholders and vendors surge
GigaDevice, a chip designer and CXMT shareholder, rose 6.57 per cent on Monday to close at 400 yuan per share on the mainland, extending its one-month gain to more than 40 per cent. In Hong Kong, GigaDevice shares climbed 8 per cent on 18 May to close at HK$587.50.
Biwin Storage, one of CXMT's largest vendors, jumped 8.10 per cent to 331.1 yuan per share. Its stock has more than doubled since March 2026, reflecting the market's confidence in sustained demand from the memory supply chain.
Why it matters: the global memory shortage
Global DRAM supply has been constrained since the second half of 2025, driving prices higher across the industry. CXMT's scale-up positions it as a significant beneficiary — and a growing competitive force against established players such as Samsung Electronics — at a moment when geopolitical pressure is pushing China to accelerate domestic chip self-sufficiency.
The broader ecosystem is also gaining momentum. Equipment and materials suppliers including Naura Technology, ACM Research Shanghai, Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China, and Hwatsing Technology are closely watched as CXMT's expansion drives procurement cycles across the domestic supply chain.
What's next
CXMT's listing process remains in focus, with the updated prospectus signalling the company's intent to access public capital markets. Investors will be watching whether the strong first-half guidance holds as DRAM prices stabilise and whether domestic equipment suppliers can keep pace with CXMT's aggressive production ramp. The trajectory of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) and allied foundry partners will also be a key indicator of how deeply the memory boom permeates China's wider semiconductor ecosystem.