Should You Invest $1,000 in Micron Technology (MU) Stock Right Now?

By Selena Maranjian – Feb 17, 2026 at 5:41AM ESTKey PointsMicron has been riding the artificial intelligence (AI) wave.Its memory chips are vital for AI processes. Its future seems bright.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NASDAQ: MUMicron TechnologyMarket Cap$463BToday's Changeangle-down(-0.60%) $2.49Current Price$411.48Price as of February 13, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETThe stock has soared by more than 350% recently -- and it still has room to grow.If you've got $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket and you're looking for a promising investment, you might consider shares of Micron Technology (MU 0.60%), the memory chip specialist. After all, headlines about it -- such as "Is Micron Technology Stock the Next Nvidia?"-- look quite promising. Image source: Getty Images. Here's one reason investors are so interested in it lately: Time Period Average Annual Return Past 1 year 352% Past 3 years 91% Past 5 years 36% Past 10 years 45% Past 15 years 27% Source: Data from Morningstar.com as of Feb. 12, 2026. Yowza, right? You don't see numbers like that very often. Micron's stock has been soaring, especially over the past year. ExpandNASDAQ: MUMicron TechnologyToday's Change(-0.60%) $-2.49Current Price$411.48Key Data PointsMarket Cap$463BDay's Range$392.83 - $420.8552wk Range$61.54 - $455.50Volume5.1KAvg Vol33MGross Margin45.53%Dividend Yield0.11% Here's why you might want to invest in Micron: It's benefiting heavily from the boom in artificial intelligence (AI), which requires not only processing chips, but also memory chips. It's growing its revenue and net income robustly, with first-quarter numbers up 57% and 180%, respectively. It's poised to continue growing, with AI spending expected to top $2.5 trillion this year and soar to $3.3 trillion next year, per Gartner. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra has said: "Micron's technology leadership, differentiated product portfolio, and strong operational execution position us as an essential AI enabler, and we are investing to support our customers' growing need for memory and storage." I'm afraid the news isn't all rosy, though -- because Micron's stock isn't exactly cheap, with a recent price-to-sales (P/S) ratio of 11.1 well above its five-year average of 3.6. The forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.6, though, is a mite below its five-year average of 11.6. Take a closer look at Micron and see what you think. You might buy some shares now if you plan to hold them for many years, or buy into it incrementally. Or add the stock to your watch list, hoping for a pullback. Remember, too, that it's not the only promising tech stock around.Read NextSep 28, 2023 •By Dan CaplingerAI Isn't Saving These 2 Tech Stocks ThursdayJun 28, 2023 •By Dan CaplingerIs This Semiconductor Giant a True AI Stock?May 22, 2023 •By Dan CaplingerThese 2 Stocks Pressured Markets Monday MorningDec 20, 2021 •By Dan CaplingerWhy Micron and Nike Are Rising After HoursSep 29, 2021 •By Dan CaplingerMicron Falls, Lucid Revs Up as Nasdaq Seeks to Bounce WednesdayOct 9, 2017 •By Anders BylundHow Micron Technology, Inc. Stock Gained 23% in SeptemberAbout the AuthorSelena Maranjian is a contributing personal finance and investing expert at The Motley Fool. Selena has produced The Motley Fool’s nationally syndicated newspaper feature since 1997. She is the author of The Motley Fool Money Guide and Investment Clubs: How to Start and Run One the Motley Fool Way, and the co-author of The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens and several editions of The Motley Fool Investment Tax Guide. Prior to The Motley Fool, she worked as a high school teacher and public opinion analyst. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from Brown University and a master’s degree in finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.TMFSelenaStocks MentionedMicron TechnologyNASDAQ: MU$411.48 (0.60%) $2.49*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.