Western Digital (WDC) News Today

Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) shares have risen on the back of stronger-than-expected results, upbeat guidance and a flurry of analyst upgrades. Key developments influencing the stock today include:

• Positive Sentiment: Strong fiscal Q4 results—revenue grew 30% year-over-year and EPS came in at $1.66, driven by cloud demand and record high-capacity drive shipments. Western Digital Q4 Earnings Beat on Solid Top-Line Growth, Shares Jump
• Positive Sentiment: Q4 2025 earnings call highlighted strong revenue growth and strategic debt reduction, reinforcing management’s execution. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Issued Q1 2026 guidance well above consensus—EPS $1.54–1.69 vs. $1.35 expected, and revenue $2.6–2.8 billion vs. $2.5 billion consensus. WDC Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity as traders bought 76,361 call contracts—a 473% rise over the daily average—indicating bullish positioning. Unusually Large Options Volume
• Positive Sentiment: Major analysts raised price targets and reiterated buy/outperform ratings—from Mizuho ($87), Benchmark ($85), Barclays ($80), Wedbush ($90), Citigroup ($88), TD Cowen ($90) and Rosenblatt ($90)—underscoring broad bullish sentiment. Mizuho Raises WDC Price Target to $87
• Neutral Sentiment: Declared a $0.10 quarterly dividend (0.56% yield), payable September 18 to shareholders of record September 4. WDC Announces $0.10 Quarterly Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest jumped 370% in July to 33.01 million shares, lifting the days-to-cover ratio to 5.1 and potentially adding volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Susquehanna maintained a “neutral” rating and set a $62 price target—implying roughly 19% downside from current levels.