The New Villian in Tech

Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing

The Motley Fool

Investing, Business

4.3 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 June 2026

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Memory prices have skyrocketed because of AI demand and that’s not extending into the consumer market after Apple raised prices on nearly all of its products. We discuss why memory is up and how Silicon Valley made itself a villain in the age of AI. Plus, we go through what technologies may be disruptive and stocks on our radar. Travis Hoium, Jon Quast, and Lou Whiteman discuss: - AI, The Villian - Why Memory Costs Hit Apple - Who Says “Enough”? - Is There Rationality in Tech? - Disruptive or Sustaining Innovation - Stock on our Radar Companies discussed: Tractor Supply (TSCO), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Apple (AAPL), Micron (MU), NVIDIA (NVDA). Host: Travis Hoium Guests: Jon Quast, Lou Whiteman Engineer: Dan Boyd Disclosure: Advertisements are sponsored content and provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, “TMF”) do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within advertisements. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement. We’re committed to transparency: All personal opinions in advertisements from Fools are their own. The product advertised in this episode was loaned to TMF and was returned after a test period or the product advertised in this episode was purchased by TMF. Advertiser has paid for the sponsorship of this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Is AI the new villain on Main Street?
0:04.3	Monty Fool Hidden Gems Investing starts now.
0:09.7	Welcome to Motley Pool Hit in Gems Investing.
0:11.8	I'm Travis Hoyum, joined today by Lou Whiteman and John Quast.
0:15.3	And guys, the big story of the week.
0:17.3	I think we have to start with Apple.
0:19.3	They've raised prices.
0:22.7	And this is partly an Apple story, Lou. I'm looking for a new computer. I'd love to get one of those Mac studios
0:28.2	when they get the new processor. It's supposed to come out in the next few months. But the
0:32.6	prices just went up, and they went up a significant amount. What in the world is going on?
0:37.5	Yeah, Tim Cook got that job because he was the supply chain guru. And he says he's never
0:42.2	seen anything like this in 40 years. The problem is memory costs. And that's all about AI.
0:48.5	As Travis said, Apple just announced a huge across-the-board price hike. Memory is the culprit here.
0:55.7	We know data centers need Nvidia chips,
0:57.7	but they also need a lot of other things,
0:59.5	including memory, and they are devouring
1:01.9	the supply of the world's new memory.
1:04.0	Simple laws of supply and demand are kicking in,
1:06.6	and it's raising prices for everyone.
1:08.7	The reality here is even worse,
1:10.2	because AI wants a special kind of memory
1:12.4	and companies like Micron are racing to make that
	...

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