Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) Stock Sale Reported by Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.

Key Points

• Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros Jr. sold $1,001–$15,000 of Western Digital stock on September 18, adding to a broader pattern of insider selling.
• Western Digital reported strong recent results, with quarterly revenue up 43.8% year over year and EPS of $3.56 exceeding estimates; analysts maintain a broadly positive outlook, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $618.63.
• Investors remain focused on AI- and cloud-driven storage demand, but concerns about HDD capacity, pricing pressure and rising Chinese competition could challenge margins and future growth.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. (Democratic-California) recently sold shares of Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC). In a filing disclosed on October 12th, the Representative disclosed that they had sold between $1,001 and $15,000 in Western Digital stock on September 18th. The trade occurred in the Representative's "150 MAIN STREET TRUST > BANK OF AMERICA" account.

Representative Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr. also recently made the following trade(s):

• Purchased $15,001 - $50,000 in shares of Benchmark Electronics NYSE: BHE on 10/1/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Oxford Industries NYSE: OXM on 9/29/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Semtech NASDAQ: SMTC on 9/29/2026.
• Sold $15,001 - $50,000 in shares of ITT NYSE: ITT on 9/29/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of BridgeBio Pharma NASDAQ: BBIO on 9/29/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Tandem Diabetes Care NASDAQ: TNDM on 9/29/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Cytokinetics NASDAQ: CYTK on 9/29/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical NASDAQ: RARE on 9/29/2026.
• Purchased $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of YETI NYSE: YETI on 9/29/2026.
• Sold $1,001 - $15,000 in shares of AtriCure NASDAQ: ATRC on 9/29/2026.

Western Digital Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WDC opened at $380.71 on Wednesday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $449.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $476.64. Western Digital Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $112.52 and a fifty-two week high of $799.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $142.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 2.11.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $3.31 by $0.25. Western Digital had a net margin of 72.95% and a return on equity of 48.15%. The firm had revenue of $3.75 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.70 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.66 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 43.8% on a year-over-year basis. Western Digital has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 3.850-4.150 EPS. Research analysts expect that Western Digital Corporation will post 19.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Western Digital Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 17th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 8th were paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.2%. Western Digital's payout ratio is currently 2.48%.

More Western Digital News

Here are the key news stories impacting Western Digital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Western Digital’s recent growth story remains supported by strong demand for high-capacity drives, cloud infrastructure, and AI-related data storage. Analysts expect substantial year-over-year earnings growth in the upcoming report, while management previously projected approximately $4.1 billion in revenue and about $4.00 in non-GAAP EPS. Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Western Digital's Report
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term investor interest is being driven by the view that AI data-center expansion will require increasingly large storage capacity, potentially sustaining demand and pricing for Western Digital’s products. Is Western Digital’s AI-Fueled Outlook Reframing Its Role in Cloud Infrastructure Leadership?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are focused on the company’s fiscal first-quarter results, with reports indicating an earnings release later in October. The key questions will be whether strong demand and margins are holding up and whether fiscal 2027 growth expectations remain achievable. Should You Buy Sandisk Stock Before Oct. 29?
• Negative Sentiment: UBS cut its price target while maintaining a neutral rating, citing uncertainty about hard-disk-drive production capacity and future pricing. Investors are concerned that less favorable storage pricing could pressure Western Digital’s margins and make its recent momentum difficult to sustain. Western Digital slides as price-target cut and HDD supply concerns weigh on shares
• Negative Sentiment: Western Digital declined alongside major semiconductor and memory stocks after China’s CXMT highlighted progress in denser server-chip designs. The development revived concerns about intensifying Chinese competition, elevated AI-investment requirements, and the sustainability of current industry valuations. US chip stocks slide as China’s CXMT advances
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity showed substantially more selling than buying over the past six months, adding another cautionary signal for investors ahead of earnings.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Western Digital

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Western Digital during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Dunhill Financial LLC acquired a new stake in Western Digital in the second quarter worth $29,000. Stonehage Fleming Financial Services Holdings Ltd acquired a new stake in Western Digital in the second quarter worth $31,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new stake in Western Digital in the first quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Gables Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in Western Digital in the second quarter valued at $32,000. 92.51% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other Western Digital news, CEO Irving Tan sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $444.97, for a total value of $8,899,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 575,966 shares in the company, valued at approximately $256,287,591.02. This represents a 3.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, insider Cynthia L. Tregillis sold 1,007 shares of the business's 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 sale, the insider owned 112,155 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $53,650,465.80. This represents a 0.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,437 shares of company stock worth $11,461,345. Company insiders own 0.20% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on WDC shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Western Digital from $575.00 to $730.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research lowered Western Digital from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Western Digital from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Monday, September 28th. Rosenblatt Securities lowered their price target on shares of Western Digital from $900.00 to $800.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $676.00 price objective (up from $650.00) on shares of Western Digital in a report on Thursday, August 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $618.63.

About Representative Cisneros

Gil Cisneros (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing California's 31st Congressional District. He assumed office on January 3, 2025. His current term ends on January 3, 2027. Cisneros (Democratic Party) is running for re-election to the U.S. House to represent California's 31st Congressional District. He declared candidacy for the 2026 election. Gil Cisneros served in the U.S. Navy as a supply officer from 1994 to 2004. Cisneros earned a bachelor's degree in political science from George Washington University in 1994, a master's in business administration from Regis University in 2002, and a master's degree in urban education policy from Brown University in 2015. His career experience includes working as a logistics manager for Frito-Lay. In 2010, Cisneros won the lottery and became involved in activism and philanthropy, founding a scholarship program for local high school students. In 2021, President Joe Biden (D) appointed Cisneros as under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness.

Western Digital Company Profile

Western Digital Corporation NASDAQ: WDC develops, manufactures and supplies data-storage products and solutions. The company's portfolio is centered on hard disk drives (HDDs) used in cloud and enterprise data centers, personal computers, network-attached storage systems and other applications that require high-capacity data storage.

Western Digital markets products under brands including Western Digital, WD and Ultrastar. Its offerings include enterprise and data-center HDDs, storage products for business and consumer systems, and related technologies designed to help organizations store, manage and access large volumes of data.

Founded in 1970, Western Digital has evolved from a maker of electronic components into a global data-storage company.

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