Prediction: Even If the Strait of Hormuz Reopens Tomorrow, the Helium Crisis Will Haunt Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks for Months

By Micah Zimmerman – Apr 18, 2026 at 11:31AM ESTKey PointsThe damage to Qatar's helium extraction infrastructure will create a multiyear global supply shortage.A key step in semiconductor production relies on helium, and there is no substitute.ExxonMobil is a major helium supplier, and its facilities are located on U.S. soil.Here's something that hasn't made enough headlines: The Iran ceasefire didn't fix the world's helium shortage problem. The Strait of Hormuz being militarily contested is how the crisis started. But what actually happened to the physical infrastructure that produces the world's helium is a completely separate story, and that story has a timeline that will extend well beyond any diplomatic agreement. On March 2, QatarEnergy declared force majeure at its Ras Laffan Industrial City, pausing operations at a facility that has the world's single largest concentration of helium production infrastructure. That month, Iranian drone and missile strikes damaged the facility, and then struck it again. Qatar accounts for roughly 30% to 38% of the world's helium supply. That supply is now offline, and it's unclear when operations will resume. Experts estimate repairs could take three to five years. Image source: Getty Images. Why helium is crucial to the AI sector Helium plays a role in semiconductor fabrication that has no substitute. During the etching process -- the step that removes unwanted material from silicon wafers to form transistor structures -- helium is blown over the back of the wafer to draw heat away and maintain precise temperature consistency. The gas's unique thermal conductivity makes it irreplaceable in that specific function.

The Semiconductor Industry Association warned in 2023 that any disruption to the helium supply chain would create "shocks to the global semiconductor manufacturing industry." That warning was theoretical then. It isn't anymore. Chipmakers don't stockpile much helium at their fabs -- most facilities keep roughly a week's supply on site. Some chipmakers reportedly hold approximately six months of strategic reserves at the supply chain level, but once that buffer is exhausted, chip yields will drop and output will slow. Meanwhile, roughly 200 specialized cryogenic shipping containers -- the only units capable of transporting liquid helium -- were effectively stranded in Qatar or in transit when the Strait of Hormuz was closed. These containers cost approximately $1 million apiece, and there aren't many spare ones sitting elsewhere. Even if traffic through the Strait fully resumed today, those containers would need to be repositioned, rerouted, and refilled before Asian chip foundries could receive new supply. Stocks in the crossfire While the beneficiaries of this crisis are relatively easy to identify, the list of companies exposed to real pain from it is longer and more consequential for most investors. Micron Technology (MU 0.47%) is one of the most direct U.S. names to watch: It manufactures DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips in fabs that depend on continuous helium inflows. ExpandNASDAQ: MUMicron TechnologyToday's Change(-0.47%) $-2.16Current Price$455.07Key Data PointsMarket Cap$513BDay's Range$452.20 - $470.9752wk Range$65.64 - $471.34Volume33MAvg Vol42MGross Margin58.54%Dividend Yield0.11% All the high-bandwidth memory that could have been produced through 2026 under normal circumstances was already sold out in advance before a single missile hit Ras Laffan; a helium-driven production slowdown would compound the current shortage into a tech-sector crisis. Micron's peers in the memory sector, hard drive makers Seagate Technology (STX +3.00%) and Western Digital (WDC +2.99%) are in similarly uncomfortable positions, but for somewhat different reasons: Every hard drive above 10 terabytes uses helium as an internal gas, and both companies have already reported 20% to 30% price increases on their 2026 production allocations due to the supply shock. The stocks that might benefit The clearest beneficiary from a helium shortage is ExxonMobil (XOM 3.65%). Its LaBarge, Wyoming, facility accounts for roughly 20% of the world's helium supply normally. Spot helium prices surged from roughly $500 per thousand cubic feet before the war began to between $1,000 and $1,200 in the weeks following the Ras Laffan shutdown. ExpandNYSE: XOMExxonMobilToday's Change(-3.65%) $-5.54Current Price$146.44Key Data PointsMarket Cap$610BDay's Range$141.97 - $146.8052wk Range$101.19 - $176.41Volume29MAvg Vol23MGross Margin21.56%Dividend Yield2.76% Linde (LIN 1.40%) is an industrial gas story that most investors are missing entirely. When helium supply is this constrained and inelastic, meaning buyers have no substitute and cannot reduce demand, whoever holds the distribution network holds the pricing power. Linde is the world's largest industrial gas company, with existing long-term helium distribution contracts across the semiconductor, medical, and aerospace sectors. Air Products and French peer Air Liquide are in similar structural positions. ExpandNASDAQ: LINLindeToday's Change(-1.40%) $-6.99Current Price$492.23Key Data PointsMarket Cap$228BDay's Range$488.00 - $497.9652wk Range$387.78 - $510.65Volume3MAvg Vol2.6MGross Margin37.76%Dividend Yield1.24%Read NextApr 17, 2026 •By Micah ZimmermanThe War in Iran Just Created a Helium Shortage That Could Cripple the Chip Industry. Here's the 1 Stock That Benefits.Apr 7, 2026 •By Lyle DalyThe Largest Materials Companies by Market Cap in April 2026Apr 7, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloBest Hydrogen Stocks to Buy in 2026 and How to Invest in ThemApr 18, 2026 •By Daniel SparksMeta's Earnings Report Is Coming Up.

Is It Time to Buy the Growth Stock?Apr 18, 2026 •By Marc GubertiBroadcom vs. AMD: Which AI Chipmaker Is the Better Buy?Apr 18, 2026 •By Daniel SparksWhy I Love This Dividend Stock and Its 6% YieldStocks MentionedLindeNASDAQ: LIN$492.16(-1.41%)-$7.06ExxonMobilNYSE: XOM$146.49(-3.61%)-$5.49Micron TechnologyNASDAQ: MU$454.45(-0.61%)-$2.78Western DigitalNASDAQ: WDC$372.52(+2.99%)+$10.83Seagate Technology PlcNASDAQ: STX$548.01(+3.05%)+$16.20*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.