Western Digital (WDC) Soars 3.5%: Is Further Upside Left in the Stock?

Western Digital (WDC) shares ended the last trading session 3.5% higher at $181.08. The jump came on an impressive volume with a higher-than-average number of shares changing hands in the session. This compares to the stock's 24.8% gain over the past four weeks.The increase in share price can be attributed to a cyclical recovery amplified by structural AI demand, improving pricing power, and better cash flow visibility. As long as AI-related storage spending remains strong and NAND pricing continues to firm, the stock’s upward bias is likely to persist, though it remains sensitive to macro swings and memory pricing cycles.The rapid buildout of AI infrastructure is significantly boosting demand for high-capacity HDDs, where Western Digital has strong exposure. Hyperscalers and cloud providers are prioritizing higher-density drives, improving WDC’s pricing power and margins. With fewer major HDD suppliers globally, Western Digital is benefiting from a more rational supply environment, reducing pricing volatility and supporting longer-term profitability, especially in nearline drives used in data centers. This maker of hard drives for businesses and personal computers is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.92 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +8.5%. Revenues are expected to be $2.91 billion, down 32% from the year-ago quarter.Earnings and revenue growth expectations certainly give a good sense of the potential strength in a stock, but empirical research shows that trends in earnings estimate revisions are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements.For Western Digital, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. And a stock's price usually doesn't keep moving higher in the absence of any trend in earnings estimate revisions. So, make sure to keep an eye on WDC going forward to see if this recent jump can turn into more strength down the road. The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>Western Digital is a member of the Zacks Computer- Storage Devices industry. One other stock in the same industry, Quantum Corp. (QMCO), finished the last trading session 1% higher at $7.32. QMCO has returned -0.8% over the past month.For Quantum Corp., the consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming report has remained unchanged over the past month at -$0.45. This represents a change of +44.4% from what the company reported a year ago. Quantum Corp. currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the months ahead. They includeStock #1: A Disruptive Force with Notable Growth and ResilienceStock #2: Bullish Signs Signaling to Buy the DipStock #3: One of the Most Compelling Investments in the MarketStock #4: Leader In a Red-Hot Industry Poised for GrowthStock #5: Modern Omni-Channel Platform Coiled to SpringMost of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +171%, +209% and +232%.Download Atomic Opportunity: Nuclear Energy's Comeback free today.Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Western Digital Corporation (WDC): Free Stock Analysis Report Quantum Corporation (QMCO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks