Earnings summaries and quarterly performance for WESTERN DIGITAL.
Executive leadership at WESTERN DIGITAL.
Irving Tan
Chief Executive Officer
Ahmed Shihab
Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer
Brad Feller
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
Brian Davis
Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer
Cynthia Tregillis
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary
Kris Sennesael
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Vidyadhara Gubbi
Executive Vice President and Chief of Global Operations
Board of directors at WESTERN DIGITAL.
Research analysts who have asked questions during WESTERN DIGITAL earnings calls.
Aaron Rakers
Wells Fargo
6 questions for WDC
Ananda Baruah
Loop Capital Markets LLC
6 questions for WDC
Karl Ackerman
BNP Paribas
6 questions for WDC
Thomas O’Malley
Barclays Capital
6 questions for WDC
Vijay Rakesh
Mizuho
5 questions for WDC
Asiya Merchant
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
4 questions for WDC
Erik Woodring
Morgan Stanley
4 questions for WDC
Steven Fox
Fox Research
4 questions for WDC
Wamsi Mohan
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
4 questions for WDC
Amit Daryanani
Evercore
3 questions for WDC
Christopher Muse
Cantor Fitzgerald
3 questions for WDC
Mark Miller
The Benchmark Company LLC
3 questions for WDC
Timothy Arcuri
UBS
3 questions for WDC
Ashley Greninger
Bank of America
2 questions for WDC
CJ Muse
Cantor Fitzgerald
2 questions for WDC
Eddy Orabi
TD Cowen
2 questions for WDC
Hannah Engberson
Evercore
2 questions for WDC
Harlan Sur
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
2 questions for WDC
Joseph Moore
Morgan Stanley
2 questions for WDC
Mike Cadiz
Citigroup
2 questions for WDC
Kris Shankar
TD Cowen
1 question for WDC
Matthew Bryson
Wedbush Securities Inc.
1 question for WDC
Mehdi Hosseini
Susquehanna Financial Group
1 question for WDC
Sreekrishnan Sankarnarayanan
Wolfe Research, LLC
1 question for WDC
Srinivas Pajjuri
Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
1 question for WDC
Recent press releases and 8-K filings for WDC.
- WD rebranding and strong AI focus: repositioned as a storage infrastructure partner with 90% of revenue driven by AI and cloud, more than 2x gross profit YoY, and inclusion in the Nasdaq 100 and top S&P 500 performers.
- Expanded capacity roadmap: world’s highest capacity 40 TB UltraSMR ePMR HDD in qualification for H2 2026, ramping HAMR HDDs in 2027, extending ePMR to 60 TB and HAMR to 100 TB+ by 2029.
- New performance architecture: High Bandwidth Drive and Dual Pivot technologies deliver 2x current bandwidth (scaling to 8x) and 2x sequential IO gains (up to 4x combined) at HDD economics.
- Power-optimized HDDs: purpose-built drives using 20% less power enable sub-second access for cold AI data, reducing TCO for warm-to-cold storage tiers.
- Platform expansion: an intelligent open-API software layer (launching 2027) will extend hyperscale storage economics to mid-scale AI customers without architectural disruption.
- WD unveiled a series of HDD technology innovations including its pulled-forward HAMR ramp to H1 2027 with a capacity roadmap from 40 TB to 100 TB, plus high-bandwidth drives using dual-pivot triple-stage actuators to double throughput by late 2027/early 2028.
- Introduced power-optimized HDDs reducing power consumption by 20% at the cost of 5–10% sequential I/O while boosting capacity by 10 TB at the 100 TB point, available for qualification in 2027.
- CFO announced an updated long-term financial model targeting >20% revenue CAGR, >50% gross margin, >40% operating margin, >30% free cash flow margin, and > $20 EPS over the next 3–5 years, driven by mid-20s exabyte demand growth and a stable pricing environment.
- Capital allocation plans include monetizing 7.5 M SanDisk shares (~$5 B) to reduce net debt to ~$1.6 B, and returning 100% of free cash flow via dividends and an expanded $4 B share buyback authorization in addition to the $2 B plan.
- Nearline storage demand is expected to grow at a 25%+ CAGR over the next five years, with HDDs retaining about 80% share in hyperscale environments.
- Drive roadmap highlights shipping 3.5 M units of 32 TB HDDs last quarter (projecting ~4 M this quarter), qualification of 40 TB ePMR drives, and a HAMR roadmap scaling from 40 TB to 100 TB by 2029 with volume ramp in H1 2027.
- Manufacturing innovation includes vertical laser testing in photonics labs and parallel customer qualification to boost HAMR yields and reduce qualification time by months.
- Platform offering: an open API–based storage platform launching in 2027 will allow non-hyperscale customers to adopt UltraSMR, high-bandwidth and high-capacity HDD features without extensive integration.
- Financial outlook targets >20% revenue CAGR, >50% gross margin, >40% operating margin, >30% free cash flow margin, and >$20 EPS over the next 3–5 years, with full free cash flow returned to shareholders and net debt reduction.
- WD rebranded to a “data-centric” company at the heart of AI and cloud, simplifying its name to WD and emphasizing six strategic pillars focused on customers, innovation, operations, culture, sustainability and financial discipline.
- The company shipped 3.5 million 32 TB drives last quarter and projects to ship just under 4 million units this quarter, marking one of the fastest ramps of a high-capacity HDD ever.
- HAMR drives are in customer qualification with two hyperscalers, starting at 40–44 TB per drive and targeting 100 TB HDDs by 2029 using in-house laser technology boosting areal density to 10 TB per platter.
- Introduced High Bandwidth Drive leveraging a triple-stage actuator to deliver 2× sequential and 1.7× random read/write throughput, with scalability up to eight concurrent tracks and customer trials underway for a 50 TB launch.
- Updated long-term financial model targets: >20% revenue CAGR, >50% gross margin, >40% operating margin, >30% free cash flow margin and >$20 EPS over 3–5 years; also announced an additional $4 billion share repurchase authorization.
- WD has pivoted to data-centric, cloud and AI markets with six strategic pillars, securing long-term hyperscaler agreements through 2027–28 and shipping 3.5 M 32 TB drives last quarter (nearly 4 M projected this quarter).
- Announced a dual roadmap: an extended ePMR platform delivering 40 TB drives now in hyperscaler qualification and a HAMR ramp from 40–44 TB up to 100 TB by 2029 via new vertical-emitting lasers and multi-platter designs.
- CFO guidance targets >20% revenue CAGR, >50% gross margin, >40% operating margin, >30% free cash flow margin, and >$20 EPS over the next 3–5 years.
- Committed to capital returns: returned 100% of free cash flow in the last two quarters, net leverage <1.5×, authorized a $4 B share buyback, and plans to monetize a $5 B SanDisk stake to achieve a net cash positive position.
- Western Digital’s board authorized an additional $4.0 billion for share repurchases, effective immediately.
- As of February 2, 2026, approximately $484 million remained under the prior authorization.
- Repurchases may be made on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, including under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, and can be suspended at any time.
- The expanded program reflects WD’s strategy to balance reinvestment, debt reduction, and shareholder returns.
- Q2 revenue of $3.0 billion, up 25% YoY; EPS $2.13; shipped 215 EB of capacity (+22% YoY), including 103 EB from 3.5 million ePMR drives at up to 32 TB.
- Cloud revenue $2.7 billion (89% of total, +28% YoY); Client $176 million (+26% YoY); Consumer $168 million (–3% YoY).
- Gross margin 46.1%, up 770 bps YoY (220 bps QoQ); operating margin 33.8%; free cash flow $653 million (21.6% FCF margin) on $745 million OCF and $92 million CapEx.
- Board approved $12.50 per-share dividend payable March 18, 2026; repurchased $615 million of stock (3.8 million shares), bringing total capital returned since Q4 FY25 to $1.4 billion.
- Q3 FY 2026 outlook: revenue $3.2 billion ± $100 million (≈40% YoY growth), gross margin 47–48%, opex $380–390 million, EPS $2.30 ± 0.15.
- Western Digital posted Q2 FY26 non-GAAP revenue of $3.017 billion (+25% YoY) and EPS of $2.13 (+78% YoY).
- Achieved non-GAAP gross margin of 46.1% (+770 bps YoY) and operating margin of 33.8% (+930 bps YoY).
- Generated $745 million in cash from operations (+85% YoY) and $653 million in free cash flow (+95% YoY); repurchased $615 million of shares and declared a $0.125 quarterly dividend.
- Provided Q3 FY26 guidance for non-GAAP revenue of $3.2 billion ±$0.1 billion and EPS of $2.30 ±$0.15.
- Western Digital delivered $3.0 B revenue (+25% YoY) and $2.13 EPS (+78% YoY), exceeding guidance, with 215 EB shipped (+22% YoY).
- Cloud drove performance, comprising 89% of revenue ($2.7 B, +28% YoY); overall gross margin rose to 46.1% (+770 bps YoY, +220 bps QoQ).
- Returned capital with a $12.50/share quarterly dividend and $615 M of share repurchases (totaling $1.4 B since Q4 FY2025); Q3 guidance calls for $3.2 B revenue (+40% YoY midpoint), 47–48% gross margin, and $2.30 ± $0.15 EPS.
- Advanced product roadmap: shipped 3.5 M ePMR drives (up to 32 TB), achieved 50% UltraSMR mix, and initiated HAMR and next-gen ePMR qualifications with hyperscale customers.
- During Q2 FY2026, revenue was $3.0 billion (+25% YoY) and EPS was $2.13 (+78% YoY); gross margin improved to 46.1% (up 770 bps YoY) with 215 EB shipped, including 3.5 million latest-gen ePMR drives.
- Cloud accounted for 89% of revenue at $2.7 billion, driven by higher-capacity Nearline products; client revenue rose 26% YoY to $176 million, while consumer declined 3% to $168 million.
- Free cash flow was $653 million (21.6% margin) on $745 million operating cash flow; the company repurchased $615 million of shares, paid $48 million in dividends this quarter, and declared a $12.50 per-share dividend payable March 18, 2026.
- Q3 FY2026 guidance: revenue of $3.2 billion ± $100 million (+40% YoY midpoint), gross margin of 47%–48%, and EPS of $2.30 ± $0.15 based on ~385 million shares.
- Product roadmap advancements include over 50% UltraSMR mix, qualification initiated for HAMR and next-gen ePMR drives, and long-term agreements with top hyperscale customers through 2026–2028.
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