National Pension Service reduced its position in Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC – Free Report) by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,380,902 shares of the data storage provider’s stock after selling 57,060 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in Western Digital were worth $882,010,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Western Digital by 4,070.0% in the second quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 417 shares of the data storage provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 407 shares during the period. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Western Digital during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Dunhill Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Western Digital during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd acquired a new stake in Western Digital during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Valley Wealth Managers Inc. purchased a new position in Western Digital in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity at Western Digital
In other Western Digital news, insider Cynthia Tregillis sold 1,007 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $478.36, for a total value of $481,708.52. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 112,155 shares in the company, valued at $53,650,465.80. This represents a 0.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Vidyadhara Gubbi sold 1,795 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $459.87, for a total transaction of $825,466.65. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 80,571 shares in the company, valued at approximately $37,052,185.77. The trade was a 2.18% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 25,437 shares of company stock valued at $11,461,345 over the last three months. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Read Our Latest Research Report on Western Digital
Western Digital Price Performance
Western Digital stock opened at $482.28 on Thursday. Western Digital Corporation has a 1-year low of $93.92 and a 1-year high of $799.87. The stock has a market cap of $166.23 billion, a PE ratio of 19.92, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 2.13. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $496.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $450.83.
Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The data storage provider reported $3.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.31 by $0.25. Western Digital had a return on equity of 48.15% and a net margin of 72.95%.The company had revenue of $3.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.66 EPS. Western Digital’s revenue for the quarter was up 43.8% on a year-over-year basis. Western Digital has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 3.850-4.150 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Western Digital Corporation will post 19.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Western Digital Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th. Western Digital’s dividend payout ratio is 2.48%.
Western Digital News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Western Digital this week:
- Positive Sentiment: AI-driven storage demand remains a key growth catalyst. Rising data volumes from AI inference, agentic AI and other emerging workloads could support long-term demand for Western Digital’s data-center storage products. AI Data Explosion: Can WDC Become a Bigger Storage Winner?
- Positive Sentiment: Strong free cash flow supports shareholder returns. WDC entered fiscal 2027 with stronger cash generation and a net cash position, potentially enabling continued buybacks and dividend payments. The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share. Can Western Digital’s Strong FCF Sustain Buybacks and Dividends?
- Positive Sentiment: Recent operating performance has exceeded expectations. Western Digital’s latest reported quarter included adjusted earnings of $3.56 per share versus the $3.31 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 43.8% year over year to $3.75 billion. Fiscal first-quarter 2027 guidance of $3.85–$4.15 in EPS reinforces the bullish earnings narrative.
- Neutral Sentiment: Management’s Citi Global TMT Conference presentation is in focus. Investors are evaluating the company’s latest commentary on storage demand, AI exposure and fiscal 2027 prospects for additional clues about the sustainability of its growth. Western Digital Presents at Citi’s 2026 Global TMT Conference
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation has become a concern. A separate analysis questions whether WDC is priced too aggressively after its substantial advance. With the stock trading at roughly 20 times earnings, further gains may depend on continued earnings growth and successful execution. Is Western Digital Priced Too High?
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling adds a modest cautionary signal. Insider Vidyadhara Gubbi sold 1,795 shares and Cynthia Tregillis sold 432 shares. Both retained sizable holdings, and Tregillis’s transaction was made under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan, reducing its significance as a bearish signal. Western Digital Insider Selling
Western Digital Profile
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) develops, manufactures and sells data storage products and solutions for data centers, cloud service providers, enterprises, businesses and consumers. Its portfolio is centered on hard disk drives (HDDs), including high-capacity enterprise drives used in cloud and data center environments, as well as products for network-attached storage, surveillance and personal computing.
The company markets products under brands including Western Digital, WD, WD_BLACK and Ultrastar.
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