MEMORY CHIPMAKER STOCKS INCREASE, CONTINUING JANUARY'S UPWARD TREND
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 02 2026
0mins
Source: moomoo
Memory Chip Makers' Shares Rise: Shares of memory chip manufacturers have seen an increase, indicating a positive trend in the market.
Market Rally Extension: This rise in shares is part of a broader market rally that has been ongoing since January.
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Analyst Views on WDC
Wall Street analysts forecast WDC stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for WDC is 189.74 USD with a low forecast of 135.00 USD and a high forecast of 250.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
19 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 285.990
Low
135.00
Averages
189.74
High
250.00
Current: 285.990
Low
135.00
Averages
189.74
High
250.00
About WDC
Western Digital Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and provider of data storage devices and solutions. It delivers hard disk drives (HDD) solutions for everyone from students, gamers, and home offices to enterprises and public clouds. The Company manufactures, markets, and sells data storage devices and solutions in the United States and in foreign countries through its sales personnel, dealers, distributors, retailers, and subsidiaries. Its portfolio of technology and products addresses multiple end markets: Cloud, Client, and Consumer. Cloud is comprised primarily of products for public or private cloud environments and end customers. Through the Client end market, it provides its original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and channel customers a range of hard drive solutions across personal computer, mobile, gaming, automotive, virtual reality headsets, at-home entertainment, and industrial spaces. The Consumer end market offers a range of retail and other end-user products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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Memory Chip Market Trends: Over the past year, memory chip stocks have seen unprecedented gains due to supply shortages, leading to higher prices, although recent declines have been noted among major companies like SanDisk and Western Digital.
Stock Performance: Major memory chip producers have experienced significant stock declines recently, with shares of Western Digital dropping 8.2% and Seagate 6.8%, indicating a bearish sentiment in the market.
Continued Price Surge: Despite recent stock declines, memory chip prices are expected to continue surging due to ongoing high demand, particularly driven by the expansion of AI data centers.
Industry Outlook: Analysts predict that supply shortages will persist beyond one or two quarters, affecting various sectors including phones, PCs, and automotive, as companies face pressure on pricing and earnings.
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- Employment Cost Index Decline: The Q4 employment cost index rose by 0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the expected 0.8%, marking the smallest increase in 4.5 years, suggesting easing labor cost pressures that may influence Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
- Positive Earnings Outlook: More than half of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 79% exceeding expectations, and Q4 earnings growth is projected at 8.4%, reflecting strong corporate profitability that could support stock market performance.
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See More
US Stocks Edge Up as Retail Sales Weaken
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 index rose by 0.18%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.46%, and the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.15%, indicating market resilience despite weak economic data, although stagnant retail sales may impact consumer spending.
- Economic Data Impact: December retail sales were unchanged, falling short of the expected 0.4%, while the Q4 employment cost index rose by 0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the anticipated 0.8%, which could lead to a downward revision of Q4 GDP, reflecting potential economic slowdown.
- Earnings Season: More than half of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 79% of the 297 companies exceeding expectations, and Q4 earnings growth is projected at 8.4%, indicating strong corporate performance that may support the stock market.
- Rate Expectations: The market is pricing in a 22% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut at the Fed's March policy meeting, reflecting cautious optimism among investors regarding future monetary policy, especially in light of the current weak economic data.
See More
Mixed Performance in US Indices Amid Weak Retail Sales
- Retail Sales Stagnation: US December retail sales were unchanged month-over-month, falling short of the +0.4% expectation, indicating weakness in consumer spending that could lead to a downward revision in Q4 GDP, thereby impacting overall economic growth prospects.
- Employment Cost Index Decline: The US Q4 employment cost index rose by 0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the expected 0.8%, marking the smallest increase in 4.5 years, which may prompt the Fed to reconsider its interest rate policy, further supporting the stock market.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: More than half of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 79% exceeding expectations, and Q4 earnings growth is projected to reach +8.4%, providing support for the market despite the poor overall economic data.
- Market Focus on Upcoming Data: This week, the market will focus on upcoming economic data and corporate earnings, including an expected increase of 69,000 in January nonfarm payrolls and an unemployment rate holding steady at 4.4%, which will significantly influence market sentiment.
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- Significant Investment Returns: Investing $5,000 in Western Digital a year ago would have yielded over 438% returns, increasing the investment to approximately $28,000, highlighting its robust performance in the data storage market.
- Market Competition Dynamics: Western Digital and Seagate form a duopoly in the hard drive market, with the rapid growth of AI data centers driving sustained demand, which is expected to propel explosive growth for both companies.
- Clear Valuation Advantage: Despite a 438% increase in stock price over the past year, Western Digital's price-to-earnings ratio remains at 27, below the S&P 500 average, indicating its relative undervaluation as an investment opportunity.
- Future Growth Potential: Western Digital is poised to continue delivering strong returns over the next two years, particularly as investments in AI technology increase, further solidifying its market position and attracting more investor interest.
See More
WDC, SNDK, and STX Stocks Drive Down Memory Chip Prices Amid Rising Costs: Is the AI Surge Losing Momentum?
Memory Chip Market Trends: Over the past year, memory chip stocks have seen unprecedented gains due to supply shortages, leading to higher prices, although recent declines have been noted among major companies like SanDisk and Western Digital.
Stock Performance: Major memory chip producers have experienced significant stock declines recently, with shares of Western Digital dropping 8.2% and Seagate 6.8%, indicating a bearish sentiment in the market.
Continued Price Surge: Despite recent stock declines, memory chip prices are expected to continue surging due to ongoing high demand, particularly driven by the expansion of AI data centers.
Industry Outlook: Analysts predict that supply shortages will persist beyond one or two quarters, affecting various sectors including phones, PCs, and automotive, as companies face pressure on pricing and earnings.
See More
Mixed Close for US Stocks as Retail Sales Stagnate
- Retail Sales Weakness: US December retail sales were unchanged month-over-month, falling short of the +0.4% expectation, indicating weakness in consumer spending that could lead to a downward revision in Q4 GDP, thereby impacting market confidence and economic growth outlook.
- Employment Cost Index Decline: The US Q4 employment cost index rose by +0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the expected +0.8%, marking the smallest increase in 4.5 years, suggesting easing labor cost pressures that may influence the Fed's monetary policy decisions.
- Mixed Market Performance: The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a new all-time high, closing up +0.10%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices fell by -0.33% and -0.56%, respectively, reflecting divergent market sentiment and uncertainty.
- Focus on Upcoming Economic Data: The market will closely monitor upcoming economic data, including January nonfarm payrolls and unemployment rate, which are expected to significantly influence future monetary policy and market trends.
See More
US Retail Sales Weakness Impacts Markets
- Retail Sales Stagnation: US retail sales for December were unchanged month-over-month, falling short of the +0.4% expectation, indicating weakness in consumer spending that could lead to a downward revision in Q4 GDP, thereby impacting overall economic growth forecasts.
- Employment Cost Index Decline: The Q4 employment cost index rose by 0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the expected 0.8%, marking the smallest increase in 4.5 years, suggesting easing labor cost pressures that may influence Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
- Positive Earnings Outlook: More than half of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 79% exceeding expectations, and Q4 earnings growth is projected at 8.4%, reflecting strong corporate profitability that could support stock market performance.
- Market Focus on Economic Data: This week, the market will concentrate on upcoming economic data releases, including non-farm payrolls and CPI, which are expected to influence investor expectations regarding future interest rate policies and subsequently affect stock market volatility.
See More
US Stocks Edge Up as Retail Sales Weaken
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 index rose by 0.18%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.46%, and the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.15%, indicating market resilience despite weak economic data, although stagnant retail sales may impact consumer spending.
- Economic Data Impact: December retail sales were unchanged, falling short of the expected 0.4%, while the Q4 employment cost index rose by 0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the anticipated 0.8%, which could lead to a downward revision of Q4 GDP, reflecting potential economic slowdown.
- Earnings Season: More than half of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 79% of the 297 companies exceeding expectations, and Q4 earnings growth is projected at 8.4%, indicating strong corporate performance that may support the stock market.
- Rate Expectations: The market is pricing in a 22% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut at the Fed's March policy meeting, reflecting cautious optimism among investors regarding future monetary policy, especially in light of the current weak economic data.
See More
Mixed Performance in US Indices Amid Weak Retail Sales
- Retail Sales Stagnation: US December retail sales were unchanged month-over-month, falling short of the +0.4% expectation, indicating weakness in consumer spending that could lead to a downward revision in Q4 GDP, thereby impacting overall economic growth prospects.
- Employment Cost Index Decline: The US Q4 employment cost index rose by 0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the expected 0.8%, marking the smallest increase in 4.5 years, which may prompt the Fed to reconsider its interest rate policy, further supporting the stock market.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: More than half of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 79% exceeding expectations, and Q4 earnings growth is projected to reach +8.4%, providing support for the market despite the poor overall economic data.
- Market Focus on Upcoming Data: This week, the market will focus on upcoming economic data and corporate earnings, including an expected increase of 69,000 in January nonfarm payrolls and an unemployment rate holding steady at 4.4%, which will significantly influence market sentiment.
See More
Western Digital Investment Returns Over 438%
- Significant Investment Returns: Investing $5,000 in Western Digital a year ago would have yielded over 438% returns, increasing the investment to approximately $28,000, highlighting its robust performance in the data storage market.
- Market Competition Dynamics: Western Digital and Seagate form a duopoly in the hard drive market, with the rapid growth of AI data centers driving sustained demand, which is expected to propel explosive growth for both companies.
- Clear Valuation Advantage: Despite a 438% increase in stock price over the past year, Western Digital's price-to-earnings ratio remains at 27, below the S&P 500 average, indicating its relative undervaluation as an investment opportunity.
- Future Growth Potential: Western Digital is poised to continue delivering strong returns over the next two years, particularly as investments in AI technology increase, further solidifying its market position and attracting more investor interest.
See More
