Financial
• TrendForce’s latest NAND Flash industry research reveals that AI server demand remained steady in the second quarter of 2026 – particularly for enterprise SSDs – resulting in a supply shortage across the NAND Flash market. This allowed suppliers to raise ASPs significantly through contract negotiations. As a result, the combined revenue of the top five publicly listed NAND Flash brands rose 77% QoQ to US$68,87 billion.
• Hindustan Zinc Limited commenced FY27 with its strongest-ever first-quarter performance. The company reported best-ever quarterly revenue from operations of US$ 1,453 million, up 77% YoY, highest-ever quarterly EBITDA of US$ 854 million, up 109% YoY, and record quarterly net profit of US$ 578 million, up 145% YoY. The robust financial performance was underpinned by its highest-ever first-quarter mined metal production of 268 KT and the lowest-ever quarterly zinc cost of production of US$ 851 per tonne, reflecting sustained operational excellence, disciplined cost management and industry-leading competitiveness.
Companies
• Smartphone industry research reveals that escalating component costs – led by memory – are expected to significantly raise production expenses for Apple’s next iPhone 18 series. For the 256 GB model, the BOM cost is estimated to increase by about 38% YoY, making higher retail prices unavoidable. Apple may offset some of these costs by reducing gross margins to prevent weakening consumer demand, aiming to keep prices manageable, maintain shipment volumes, and grow market share.
• MTN South Africa has announced a planned R332 million investment in Limpopo during the 2026 financial year to expand network capacity, enhance connectivity and support digital inclusion across the province.
• The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has welcomed Eskom’s confirmation that it will not fine or disconnect residential customers who miss the
• Envision Energy has announced a collaboration with Sasol to advance the design study of a potential green hydrogen system at Sasol’s Sasolburg operations in South Africa. The collaboration marks an important step in exploring how future energy systems can integrate renewable power, energy storage and electrolyser technologies to unlock new pathways to support the development of lower-carbon fuels and chemicals, including potential applications in eMethanol and sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF). The design study is expected to be completed later this year and will provide technical and commercial insights to support potential future investment decisions. Sasol is evaluating opportunities to leverage its existing industrial capabilities and infrastructure, while exploring technologies that can support its energy transition pathway and future market opportunities.
• Sungrow has successfully commissioned the RESPITE Solar-plus-Storage Project in Sierra Leone, marking the country’s first major national-scale power generation project completed and connected to the grid in nearly a decade. The project features a total energy storage capacity of 35 MWh and integrates 8 units of Sungrow’s PowerTitan Series ESS.
• Starlink has recently deployed its first batch of V3 satellites. The new satellites, featuring a 2048-element phased-array antenna and operating at a lower orbital altitude, deliver ultra-low-latency broadband connectivity and direct-to-cell (D2C) services. As Starlink readies for large-scale deployment of the V3 constellation, launch demand for parent company SpaceX is expected to grow steadily, driving the global satellite launch market to an estimated US$40,4 billion by 2028.
Technologies
• According to TrendForce’s latest memory industry research, DRAM supply will remain tight through 2027, and uncertainty persists over memory suppliers’ HBM4e validation timelines. Together, these constraints are prompting AI chip vendors to scale back the HBM configurations of their next-generation products.
• A new report from the IoT market research firm, Berg Insight, says that annual shipments of wireless devices for industrial automation applications reached 5,8 million units worldwide in 2025, accounting for approximately 6% of all new connected nodes. Derived from the company’s latest market study “The Global Industrial Wireless Solutions Market” annual shipments are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8,1% to reach 8,5 million by 2030.
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