Western Digital stock jumps 9% to start 2026 — what WDC investors watch next

5 January 2026

NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 19:39 ET — Market closed

Western Digital closed Friday up 8.96% at $187.70.
The move tracked strength across storage and chip-linked names tied to AI data-center spending.
Next focus: Jan. 9 U.S. jobs data, Jan. 13 CPI, and Western Digital’s next earnings window.

Western Digital (WDC) shares closed Friday up nearly 9% at $187.70, extending a sharp rally in data-storage names as 2026 began. The stock added $15.44 on the session, and traded between $176 and $188.90, according to market data.

The burst matters because Western Digital has become a fast-moving proxy for AI-linked infrastructure spending. It sells hard disk drives, or HDDs — spinning disks used for mass storage — to customers ranging from enterprises to public cloud operators. Reuters

The broader tape helped. Chipmakers led U.S. stocks higher on Friday, and traders debated whether “AI plays” still justify premium valuations after a long run, with Charles Schwab’s Joe Mazzola noting investors may be “more conscious” of what they are paying for the trade. Reuters

Western Digital’s move also followed strength in memory and storage peers, including Micron Technology (MU) and Seagate Technology (STX). Micron climbed after Bernstein raised its price target and flagged a path to a larger high-bandwidth memory market, the Motley Fool wrote on Nasdaq.com, adding that AI data-center build-outs and tight supply have kept the space in focus. Nasdaq

Western Digital is coming off a blockbuster 2025, when it rose about 282% and finished as the S&P 500’s top performer, Barron’s reported. The same report noted Sandisk — the flash-storage business spun out from Western Digital in February — jumped 12% on Friday. Barron’s

Technically, the close leaves the stock pressing into the $190 area, a round-number level traders often treat as the next test. A break back toward the mid-$170s would put the focus on whether Friday’s momentum was a one-day burst or the start of another leg higher.

Company-specific catalysts are lighter heading into the week, with investors mainly watching for any read-through on cloud capital spending and storage pricing. Nasdaq’s earnings calendar lists Western Digital’s next report as an estimate around Feb. 4, a date that can shift once the company confirms its schedule. Nasdaq

But the setup cuts both ways. After a steep multi-month run, any sign that hyperscale cloud customers are slowing orders, working through inventory, or pushing back on pricing could hit the stock quickly, especially if interest rates move higher and investors rotate away from higher-volatility names.

The next near-term tests are macro: U.S. payrolls data due Jan. 9 and the consumer price index report on Jan. 13, as fourth-quarter earnings season begins to ramp with major bank results also due Jan. 13, Reuters reported. Reuters

Khadija Saeed Latest posts

A dedicated markets reporter, she covers stocks, macroeconomics, and major business developments with a sharp eye for detail and accuracy.

View all

Australian shares steady as CPI data in focus, RBA outlook intact
January 5, 2026, 8:14 PM EST. Australian stocks held near flat as investors brace for the November CPI (consumer price index) release due Wednesday. The ASX 200 slipped 0.03%, with miners lending some support while rate-sensitive sectors wavered. Traders expect the November CPI to ease to about 3.7% year on year, though core inflation is likely to stay elevated, keeping a hawkish bias at the RBA. Markets price roughly a 39% chance of a February rate hike. Financials fell about 0.6%, led by Commonwealth Bank of Australia down around 0.7%, with the other major lenders also weaker. By contrast, mining shares benefited from resilient commodity prices and a softer US dollar. The mood remained cautious ahead of the CPI print, which could reset expectations for policy, bonds, and the Australian dollar.