The third quarter of 2023 witnessed suppliers dramatically cutting production, which underpinned enterprise SSD prices. The fourth quarter saw a resurgence in contract prices, driven by robust buying activity and heightened demand from server brands and buoyed by optimistic capital expenditure forecasts for 2024. This, combined with increased demand from various end products entering their peak sales period and ongoing reductions in OEM NAND Flash inventories, resulted in some capacity shortages. Consequently, fourth-quarter enterprise SSD prices surged by over 15%. TrendForce highlights that this surge in demand and prices led to a 47.6% QoQ increase in enterprise SSD industry revenues in 4Q23, reaching approximately $23.1 billion.

The stage is set for continued fervor as we settle into the new year and momentum from server brand orders continues to heat up—particularly from Chinese clients. On the supply side, falling inventory levels and efforts to exit loss-making positions have prompted enterprise SSD prices to climb, with contract prices expected to increase by over 25%. This is anticipated to fuel a 20% revenue growth in Q1.SK Group recorded the highest growth rate in the enterprise SSD segment for 4Q23, with revenues hitting $766 million—a 96.9% jump—thanks to renewed stocking demand from key North American clients. Samsung secured the second-highest growth at 64.3%, reaching $961 million, as reduced production and revitalized order dynamics spurred a price rally and significantly boosted revenues and shipments.

Micron saw a 6.8% rise to $250 million, driven by Q4 enterprise SSD contract price hikes. The company is making strides in the enterprise SSD space, gradually rolling out PCIe 4.0 products and initiating customer validations for its 232-layer offerings as it aims for a larger slice of the market share.

Kioxia enjoyed a 4.3% revenue increase in 4Q23 to $217 million, capitalizing on growing PCIe 4.0 shipments amid swift price rebounds and supply constraints faced by leading suppliers. Meanwhile, Western Digital experienced a downturn, with revenues falling to $113 million—a 23.4% decline—due to diminishing demand for its flagship products. With limited PCIe product validations and a strategic focus on client SSD product development, Western Digital faces upcoming challenges in enterprise SSD market growth.