Western Digital Stock Price, News & Analysis

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) will participate in the Nasdaq Virtual Investor Conference in Asia on August 10, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. PT / 10:00 p.m. ET. The event will feature a live webcast available on Western Digital’s Investor Relations website. Following the presentation, an archived replay will be accessible for those who missed it. As a leader in data infrastructure, Western Digital focuses on creating environments for data to thrive, offering solutions through its well-known brands, including Western Digital, G-Technology, SanDisk, and WD.

Western Digital Corp. (Nasdaq: WDC) reported strong fourth quarter and fiscal year 2021 results, with revenue reaching $4.92 billion, up 19% quarter-over-quarter and 15% year-over-year. The gross margin improved to 31.8%, reflecting a 5.4 percentage point increase. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) rose to $1.97, up 214%. The fiscal year revenue was $16.92 billion, marking a 1% increase. The company highlighted record shipments in its data center solutions and strong demand across client devices, including gaming and automotive sectors. Looking ahead, revenue guidance for Q1 2022 is between $4.90 billion and $5.10 billion.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) will release its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2021 financial results on August 4, 2021, after market close. A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for the same day at 1:30 p.m. Pacific / 4:30 p.m. Eastern. The audio of the call will be accessible via investor.wdc.com.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) will host a virtual investor event on July 15 at 1:00 p.m. PT / 4:00 p.m. ET. Dr. Siva Sivaram, President of Technology and Strategy, will lead the presentation, focusing on the integration of flash and HDD storage technologies under one company to meet various market needs. He will emphasize the importance of leveraging these technologies for future data infrastructure development. Investors can register for the event on Western Digital’s Investor Relations website, with a replay available shortly after the presentation.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) announced the appointment of Dr. Thomas Caulfield and Miyuki Suzuki to its board of directors effective July 6, 2021. Both bring extensive semiconductor and global operational experience, enhancing Western Digital's growth strategy. Caulfield, CEO of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, has over 30 years in the industry while Suzuki has held senior leadership roles across multiple sectors. Their expertise aligns with Western Digital's commitment to innovation in memory technology, positioning the company for growth in the rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific market.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) has launched its second-generation UFS 3.1 storage solution, the iNAND® MC EU551, tailored for 5G smartphones. This new offering enhances performance with a 100% boost in random read speeds and significant improvements in write speeds, enabling advanced applications like 8K video and AR/VR. The device is sampling now with volume availability slated for July 2021, supporting capacities of 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. IDC projects that 5G smartphones will grow to 69% of global shipments by 2025, highlighting a promising market for this technology.

Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) has launched its Ultrastar^® Edge server family, designed for high-performance data processing, latency reduction, and real-time decision-making at the data source. The servers cater to cloud providers and industries operating in remote locations, featuring robust designs for extreme conditions. The Ultrastar Edge-MR and Ultrastar Edge models will be available from CQ4 2021. Analyst forecasts predict server deployments at edge locations to double by 2024, representing a significant market opportunity for Western Digital in the 5G and IoT landscape.

The DNA Data Storage Alliance, created by Twist Bioscience (TWST), Illumina (ILMN), and Western Digital (WDC), has published a white paper titled “Preserving our Digital Legacy: An Introduction to DNA Data Storage.” This document discusses DNA storage's potential to address the exponential growth of digital data, highlighting that humans generated over 400 ZB of data in 2020. The paper outlines DNA's unprecedented storage density, stability, and sustainability compared to existing technologies. The Alliance aims to develop standards for interoperability in DNA storage solutions as the technology evolves.

Western Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: WDC) launched three new SSDs for its WD_BLACK™ gaming portfolio at the Flash Perspective event, enhancing storage solutions for gamers. The new offerings include:

• WD_BLACK SN750 SE NVMe SSD: Up to 3,600MB/s read speed, available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB, starting at $54.99.
• WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD: Up to 900MB/s read speed, available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB, starting at $89.99.
• WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD for Xbox: Xbox-certified, starting at $99.99.

These products aim to enhance gamer experiences with fast, reliable storage.