Shares of SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK | SNDK Price Prediction) are up 14% to roughly $1,873 in midday trading Thursday, while Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) stock is climbing 6% to around $520.
WDC has surged 185% YTD as AI-driven storage demand, pricing gains and a streamlined HDD-focused business fuel growth prospects.
Western Digital (WDC) concluded the recent trading session at $490.23, signifying a -5.31% move from its prior day's close.
Recently, Zacks.com users have been paying close attention to Western Digital (WDC). This makes it worthwhile to examine what the stock has in store.
During the first quarter of 2026, the Financials and Industrials sectors contributed to relative performance while Consumer Discretionary and Energy were among sectors that detracted from relative performance. Western Digital has structurally shifted toward cloud customers as consumer exposure has declined, with cloud representing the majority of Western Digital's revenue. Nebius Group announced a landmark multi-year infrastructure agreement with a major AI hyperscaler, significantly expanding its contracted backlog and validating its platform at scale.
In the closing of the recent trading day, Western Digital (WDC) stood at $576.93, denoting a -2.89% move from the preceding trading day.
Western Digital Corporation (WDC) Presents at 2026 Evercore Global TMT Conference Transcript
Western Digital has surged 915% YoY, driven by robust cloud demand and exceptional margin expansion. WDC delivered strong Q3 results: $3.34B revenue (+46% YoY), $2.72 EPS, and 50.5% gross margin, with a bullish FY26–28 EPS growth outlook. Valuation remains attractive with a forward PEG of 0.86x and a $555 fair value target based on FY28 normalized EPS.
Western Digital Corporation (WDC) Presents at Bank of America 2026 Global Technology Conference Transcript
I reiterate a Strong Buy on Western Digital because my original AI storage thesis has moved from expectation to proof, with Q3 2026 showing 45% revenue growth. Micron and SK Hynix are giving the market the green light on the broader AI memory cycle, and I believe WDC will benefit from the same underlying driver. My growth drivers are nearline cloud demand, UltraSMR mix, cost-per-TB declines, and HAMR. The drivers can take WDC toward roughly $20.70 of est. 2028 EPS.
WDC's Q3 FY26 gross margin jumps to 50.5% on higher-capacity drives, pricing and cost controls, with revenues up 45% to $3.3B; Q4 guide: 51%-52%.
The explosion of AI, cloud computing, video streaming and enterprise analytics has created an enormous demand for data storage and infrastructure solutions. Two companies operating in this rapidly evolving market are Western Digital Corporation WDC and Quantum Corporation QMCO.