Ritholtz Wealth Management lowered its position in Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC – Free Report) by 10.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 49,240 shares of the data storage provider’s stock after selling 5,568 shares during the quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Western Digital were worth $22,378,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NBH Bank bought a new stake in shares of Western Digital in the third quarter valued at approximately $76,000. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Western Digital during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,293,000. First Command Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in Western Digital in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $878,000. Machina Capital S.A.S. boosted its holdings in Western Digital by 1,047.4% in the 3rd quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S. now owns 4,934 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $2,242,000 after buying an additional 4,504 shares during the period. Finally, Silver Grove Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Western Digital by 24.8% in the 3rd quarter. Silver Grove Financial Group Inc. now owns 327 shares of the data storage provider’s stock worth $149,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, insider Vidyadhara Gubbi sold 1,795 shares of Western Digital stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the insider owned 80,571 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,052,185.77. This trade represents a 2.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Cynthia Tregillis sold 807 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $380.00, for a total value of $306,660.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 108,928 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $41,392,640. The trade was a 0.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 5,436 shares of company stock worth $2,440,664 in the last quarter. 0.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Western Digital Trading Up 8.3%
Western Digital stock opened at $313.31 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $397.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $419.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $117.28 billion, a PE ratio of 12.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 2.27. Western Digital Corporation has a 1-year low of $132.43 and a 1-year high of $799.87.
Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The data storage provider reported $4.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.11 by $0.53. Western Digital had a net margin of 69.20% and a return on equity of 55.62%. The business had revenue of $4.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.78 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 55.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Western Digital Corporation will post 23.62 earnings per share for the current year.
Western Digital Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 17th. Investors of record on Friday, December 4th will be given a $0.1750 dividend. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.2%. This is a boost from Western Digital’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. The ex-dividend date is Friday, December 4th. Western Digital’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 2.72%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley set a $668.00 target price on shares of Western Digital and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Summit Insights lowered Western Digital from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Wall Street Zen cut Western Digital from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, October 31st. Mizuho set a $490.00 price objective on Western Digital in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $540.00 price objective on Western Digital in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $591.04.
Read Our Latest Research Report on Western Digital
Trending Headlines about Western Digital
Investors following WDC have been watching these headlines:
- Positive Sentiment: A rebound across AI and storage hardware shares is helping WDC recover after a sharp pullback. Investors are also weighing its recent earnings beat, strong revenue growth, raised near-term outlook and dividend increase as signs of business momentum and cash generation. Why Western Digital Stock Is Up Today
- Neutral Sentiment: Commentary sees WDC’s valuation as potentially reasonable relative to its earnings, but notes that the stock’s steep gains over the past three years and recent volatility leave investors debating how much future growth is already reflected in the share price. Western Digital Stock Looks Reasonable Despite AI Data Center Fears
- Negative Sentiment: Risks include concerns about the sustainability and financing of AI infrastructure spending, which could affect expectations for data-center demand. A shareholder-law-firm investigation announced earlier this week is also a potential, though unsubstantiated, legal overhang. Shareholder Investigation Announcement
Western Digital Profile
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC) develops and supplies hard disk drives (HDDs) and related data-storage products. Its drives serve data centers and cloud providers, as well as businesses and consumers who need storage for computers, network-attached storage systems, surveillance and other applications. Its product brands include WD and Ultrastar. Founded in 1970, the company began as an electronics and semiconductor business before expanding into data storage. In February 2025, Western Digital completed the separation of its flash-memory business into the independently traded SanDisk Corporation, leaving Western Digital focused on HDDs.
Further Reading
- Five stocks we like better than Western Digital
- Keeping AI Cool: AAON Rides the AI Heatwave to Record Growth
- AST SpaceMobile Has a New Rocket Plan, But Its Cash-Burn Problem Isn’t Going Away
- Powering Up the Moon: Redwire’s $40 Million NASA Award
- Can Constellation Energy’s Contracts Power a Stock Rebound?
Receive News & Ratings for Western Digital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Western Digital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
