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Western Digital Stock Slumps 9% as Current Quarter Projections Underwhelm Traders

Aditya Raghunath4 minute read
Reviewed by: David Hanson
Last updated Aug 6, 2026

@u_xetlfmg9yb from pixabay via Canva, @Maxiphoto from Getty Images Signature via Canva

Key Stats for Western Digital Stock

  • Price change for Western Digital stock: -9%
  • $WDC Stock Price as of Aug. 5: $519
  • 52-Week High: $800
  • $WDC Stock Price Target: $656

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What Happened?

Western Digital (WDC) reported Q4 revenue of $3.75 billion, up 44% from a year earlier and ahead of the roughly $3.70 billion analysts expected.

Adjusted earnings came in at $3.56 per share, comfortably beating the $3.30 forecast. Gross margin also came in strong, above 54%.

The company’s guidance also looked solid at first glance. Western Digital expects Q1 fiscal 2027 revenue of $4.1 billion, plus or minus $100 million, ahead of the roughly $4.04 billion analysts wanted.

Earnings guidance of about $4.00 per share was only slightly above the $3.81 forecast, which turned out to be part of the problem.

So why did Western Digital stock fall anyway? The issue wasn’t the quarter itself. It was the price the stock had already reached.

  • Shares had almost tripled during 2026 heading into this report, riding a wave of enthusiasm about AI driving demand for data storage.
  • When expectations get that high, even a clean beat-and-raise quarter isn’t enough to keep a stock climbing.
  • One number in particular caught investors’ attention. The amount of data Western Digital shipped, measured in exabytes, grew 22% year over year.
  • That’s a solid number on its own, but it’s a slowdown from the roughly 30% growth pace seen in recent quarters.
  • For a stock priced for flawless, uninterrupted growth, that kind of deceleration was enough to spark heavy selling.

Western Digital wasn’t alone. SanDisk, which was spun off from Western Digital in early 2025, also forecast upbeat revenue that still fell short of the market’s lofty expectations, and its shares dropped as well.

Seagate Technology, Micron Technology, and SK Hynix all declined too, suggesting the pullback wasn’t specific to one company but reflected broader nervousness across the entire AI storage and memory trade.

WDC Stock Q4 Earnings vs. Estimates in Billion USD (TIKR)

RBC Capital Markets noted that while long-term customer agreements are giving companies in this space better visibility into future business, investor skepticism is likely to continue.

The firm pointed to margins that may be near their peak and price growth that’s starting to moderate as reasons for caution.

See analysts’ growth forecasts and price targets for Western Digital stock (It’s free) >>>

What the Market Is Telling Us About Western Digital Stock

The drop in Western Digital stock isn’t a signal that AI-driven demand for storage is fading. The company’s 44% revenue growth and strong guidance make clear that demand remains real and robust.

Instead, this reaction shows how far expectations had run ahead of even excellent results.

After a run that saw shares more than triple this year, the market wanted not just a good quarter, but a flawless one with no hint of slowing.

WDC Stock Valuation Model (TIKR)

Western Digital delivered strong numbers, but the slight deceleration in exabyte growth was enough to remind investors that even AI’s biggest beneficiaries aren’t immune to a valuation reset.

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How Much Upside Does Western Digital Stock Have From Here?

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  2. Operating Margins
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Disclaimer:

Please note that the articles on TIKR are not intended to serve as investment or financial advice from TIKR or our content team, nor are they recommendations to buy or sell any stocks. We create our content based on TIKR Terminal’s investment data and analysts’ estimates. Our analysis might not include recent company news or important updates. TIKR has no position in any stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading, and happy investing!

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