$WDC

SanDisk shares rose about 15% after its 2026 Investor Day, where management targeted non-GAAP gross margins around 80% sustained through fiscal 2030 and non-GAAP operating margins near 75%, supported by New Business Model agreements with eight customers covering about two-thirds of bits shipped by FY2028. Western Digital, SK hynix, and Micron also gained. Wall Street expects normalized earnings of about $213.23, $265.12, and $214.10 over the next three years.

US and European shares fell while oil prices rose amid tense US-Iran talks. The US threatened to increase economic pressure on Iran, including extending a naval blockade. Brent rose to $87.68/bbl and US oil to $81.49. In Ireland, Kingspan slid then said it will pay up to €900m for BMC. In the US, Broadcom and Applied Materials fell; SanDisk and Western Digital rose; Reddit jumped after S&P 500 inclusion.

Tech stocks fell on Friday as investors weighed weaker retail sales and Middle East tensions. The S&P 500 information technology index fell 0.5%, led by Broadcom down 5.5%. Applied Materials dropped 5.2% despite forecasting Q4 revenue above estimates. Sandisk rose 5.7% and Western Digital gained 1.4%. Reddit jumped over 12% after S&P 500 addition.

US stock indices closed mixed as memory chip stocks led gains. SanDisk (SNDK) rose nearly 9% and topped US market turnover for the first time, while Seagate, Western Digital, Micron and SK Hynix also advanced. Broadcom (AVGO) fell over 5%. SanDisk cited guidance for fiscal 2028-2030; SK Group’s chairman said a record memory supply shortfall is likely next year.

Sandisk shares rose about 7% to $1,630, with Western Digital up 4% to $505 and Micron up 3% to $978, extending Thursday gains. The article cites analyst price-target resets and a $14 billion buyback authorization at Sandisk, plus new multiyear customer agreements worth $93.9 billion. It links the move to Korea’s Kospi returning to bull-market territory.

KOSPI closed Friday up 2.41% at 6,977.34, ending a seven-week losing streak and adding 11.5% for the week. SK Hynix rose 3.26% to 1,645,000 won and Samsung Electronics gained 2.43% to 274,500 won. The move followed SanDisk’s Investor Day guidance for mid-to-high teens revenue growth and ~80% non-GAAP gross margins through 2030.

Western Digital shares rose about 4.2% pre-open as memory and storage peers rallied after SanDisk’s Aug. 13 Investor Day. SanDisk projected mid-teens annual revenue growth for FY2028-2030 and signed multi-year customer contracts. Western Digital reported Q4 FY2026 adjusted EPS of $3.56 on $3.75B revenue and issued Q1 FY2027 revenue guidance near $4.1B and gross margins 55%–56%.

CNBC’s Jim Cramer questioned whether Western Digital (WDC) and Sandisk (SNDK) are still cyclical after their earnings. WDC reported fiscal Q4 revenue of $3.75B and EPS $3.56, but its guidance disappointed. SNDK reported $8.97B revenue and $39.25 EPS, with Q1 guidance above estimates. Debate centers on AI-driven storage demand.

WDC Networks reported a return to profit in Q2 2026, with net income of BRL 2.9 million versus a BRL 1.1 million loss in the prior period, driven by lower financing costs and depreciation. Net revenue fell 10.8% year over year to BRL 198.3 billion. Adjusted EBITDA declined 15.1% to BRL 55.0 billion, and net debt decreased 7.9% to BRL 392.8 million.

A Wall Street morning wrap says the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit new highs, helped by tech names including Sandisk, Workday and Western Digital, as US producer price inflation cooled. It cites AI-related moves: Alphabet’s Gemini update, OpenAI C-suite change, Anthropic IPO talk at a reported $2T valuation, and AMD planning up to $5B in bonds. Oil fell and multiple global earnings and macro items were scheduled.