Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) Posts Earnings Results

Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The data storage provider reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.42, Briefing.com reports. The business had revenue of $3.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.37 billion. Western Digital had a negative return on equity of 13.67% and a negative net margin of 12.87%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 23.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($1.57) EPS. Western Digital updated its Q4 guidance to $0.90-1.20 EPS and its Q4 2024 guidance to 0.900-1.200 EPS.

Western Digital Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WDC opened at $71.36 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $65.08 and its 200 day moving average is $54.96. Western Digital has a fifty-two week low of $32.01 and a fifty-two week high of $76.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.67.

Insider Activity at Western Digital

In related news, Director Kimberly Alexy sold 2,648 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.95, for a total transaction of $185,227.60. Following the sale, the director now owns 20,509 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,434,604.55. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other Western Digital news, Director Kimberly Alexy sold 2,648 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.95, for a total value of $185,227.60. Following the transaction, the director now owns 20,509 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,434,604.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Gene M. Zamiska sold 443 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.00, for a total value of $33,225.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 30,958 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,321,850. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WDC has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Bank of America boosted their price target on Western Digital from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Western Digital from $72.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Western Digital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $45.00 to $65.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Western Digital in a report on Friday. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price target on Western Digital from $65.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $77.25.

About Western Digital

Western Digital Corporation develops, manufactures, and sells data storage devices and solutions in the United States, China, Hong Kong, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, rest of Asia, and internationally. It offers client devices, including hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs) for desktop and notebook personal computers (PCs), gaming consoles, and set top boxes; and flash-based embedded storage products for mobile phones, tablets, notebook PCs, and other portable and wearable devices, as well as automotive, Internet of Things, industrial, and connected home applications.