New York, Jan 23, 2026, 19:50 EST — After-hours
- Shares of Western Digital fell 2.8% following Friday’s close.
- Wall Street has raised its targets ahead of next week’s quarterly earnings report.
- Attention centers on data-center drive pricing, demand trends, and company guidance.
Shares of Western Digital Corp slipped 2.8% to $236.39 in after-hours trading on Friday, following a regular session range of $232.37 to $243.25. The after-hours session occurs outside the standard 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET trading hours.
The pullback hits the data-storage maker ahead of its fiscal second-quarter results, set to drop after the market closes on Jan. 29, with a conference call at 4:30 p.m. ET to follow. This report marks a crucial test for a stock that’s swung sharply as expectations for data-center spending have shifted. 1
Analysts are racing to anticipate the upcoming earnings. On Thursday, Morgan Stanley’s Erik Woodring bumped his price target for Western Digital from $228 to $260, naming it his “top pick.” For context, a price target reflects where an analyst expects a stock to trade within the next year. 2
On Friday, Wedbush lifted its price target for Western Digital from $200 to $260 while maintaining an outperform rating, a report from MT Newswires revealed. 3
Western Digital moved in a mixed market on Friday. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq managed small gains, but Intel fell sharply on a disappointing forecast, dragging the semiconductor index down, according to a Reuters report. 4
Western Digital manufactures hard disk drives and storage products for cloud data centers, enterprise setups, and consumer devices. For equity traders, the focus has tightened to a single issue: how long data-center demand can outpace supply.
A clearer signal might arrive sooner. Seagate Technology, Western Digital’s main rival in high-capacity hard drives, is set to release its fiscal second-quarter earnings after U.S. markets close on Jan. 27. 5
Investors in Western Digital will focus on shifts in pricing trends, shipment mix, and how customers are placing orders. The company’s guidance for the March quarter will be closely scrutinized, as it often influences the broader storage sector.
However, the setup works both ways. With expectations climbing ahead of earnings, even a modest beat or cautious outlook can weigh on a stock, despite solid quarterly results on paper.
Western Digital has more than just earnings on its schedule. The company announced it will host an Innovation Day in New York on Feb. 3, outlining its product and technology roadmap. 6
Traders are set to gauge Seagate’s results on Jan. 27 before shifting focus to Western Digital’s earnings, due after the close on Jan. 29.
