Western Digital (WDC) Competitors $129.31 +8.87 (+7.36%) As of 11:52 AM Eastern This is a fair market value price provided by Polygon.io. Learn more. Add Compare Share Share Competitors Stock AnalysisAnalyst ForecastsChartCompetitorsDividendEarningsFinancialsHeadlinesInsider TradesOptions ChainOwnershipSEC FilingsShort InterestSustainabilityTrendsBuy This Stock WDC vs. AMAT, LRCX, MKSI, MU, STX, NTAP, SNDK, SYNA, IMMR, and SMCIShould you be buying Western Digital stock or one of its competitors? The main competitors of Western Digital include Applied Materials (AMAT), Lam Research (LRCX), MKS (MKSI), Micron Technology (MU), Seagate Technology (STX), NetApp (NTAP), Sandisk (SNDK), Synaptics (SYNA), Immersion (IMMR), and Super Micro Computer (SMCI). Western Digital vs. Its Competitors Applied Materials Lam Research MKS Micron Technology Seagate Technology NetApp Sandisk Synaptics Immersion Super Micro Computer Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) and Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC) are both large-cap computer and technology companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, media sentiment, risk, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership and dividends. Which has more risk and volatility, AMAT or WDC? Applied Materials has a beta of 1.82, indicating that its share price is 82% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Western Digital has a beta of 1.77, indicating that its share price is 77% more volatile than the S&P 500. Is AMAT or WDC a better dividend stock? Applied Materials pays an annual dividend of $1.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. Western Digital pays an annual dividend of $0.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. Applied Materials pays out 21.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Western Digital pays out 7.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Applied Materials has increased its dividend for 8 consecutive years. Applied Materials is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. Which has stronger earnings & valuation, AMAT or WDC? Applied Materials has higher revenue and earnings than Western Digital. Western Digital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Applied Materials, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. CompanyGross RevenuePrice/Sales RatioNet IncomeEarnings Per SharePrice/Earnings RatioApplied Materials$28.61B6.32$7.18B$8.3927.05Western Digital$9.52B4.66$1.89B$5.1525.11 Does the media refer more to AMAT or WDC? In the previous week, Applied Materials had 43 more articles in the media than Western Digital. MarketBeat recorded 70 mentions for Applied Materials and 27 mentions for Western Digital. Applied Materials' average media sentiment score of 1.21 beat Western Digital's score of 0.97 indicating that Applied Materials is being referred to more favorably in the media. Company Very Positive Positive Neutral Negative Very Negative Overall Sentiment Applied Materials 51 Very Positive mention(s) 1 Positive mention(s) 11 Neutral mention(s) 3 Negative mention(s) 1 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Western Digital 17 Very Positive mention(s) 3 Positive mention(s) 4 Neutral mention(s) 0 Negative mention(s) 0 Very Negative mention(s) Positive Is AMAT or WDC more profitable? Applied Materials has a net margin of 23.88% compared to Western Digital's net margin of 14.13%. Applied Materials' return on equity of 40.96% beat Western Digital's return on equity.Company Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Applied Materials23.88% 40.96% 22.99% Western Digital 14.13%24.93%10.59% Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of AMAT or WDC? 80.6% of Applied Materials shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.5% of Western Digital shares are held by institutional investors. 0.2% of Applied Materials shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.2% of Western Digital shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Do analysts rate AMAT or WDC? Applied Materials currently has a consensus price target of $206.08, indicating a potential downside of 9.21%. Western Digital has a consensus price target of $101.21, indicating a potential downside of 21.73%. Given Applied Materials' higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Applied Materials is more favorable than Western Digital.Company Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Applied Materials 1 Sell rating(s) 12 Hold rating(s) 18 Buy rating(s) 0 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.55Western Digital 0 Sell rating(s) 5 Hold rating(s) 17 Buy rating(s) 1 Strong Buy rating(s) 2.83 SummaryApplied Materials beats Western Digital on 16 of the 20 factors compared between the two stocks. Get Western Digital News Delivered to You Automatically Sign up to receive the latest news and ratings for WDC and its competitors with MarketBeat's FREE daily newsletter. Subscribe Now View SMS TermsBy entering your phone number and clicking the sign-up button, you agree to receive periodic text messages from MarketBeat at the phone number you submitted, including texts that may be sent using an automatic telephone dialing system. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency will vary. Messages will consist of stock alerts, news stories, and partner advertisements/offers. Consent is not a condition of the purchase of any goods or services. Text HELP for help/customer support. Unsubscribe at any time by replying "STOP" to any text message that you receive from MarketBeat or by visiting our mailing preferences page. Read our full terms of service and privacy policy. New MarketBeat Followers Over TimeWhat are MarkeBeat Followers?This chart shows the number of new MarketBeat users adding WDC and its top 5 competitors to their watchlist. Each company is represented with a line over a 90 day period. Skip ChartMedia Sentiment Over TimeWhat is Media Sentiment?This chart shows the average media sentiment of NASDAQ and its competitors over the past 90 days as caculated by MarketBeat. The averaged score is equivalent to the following: Very Negative Sentiment <= -1.5, Negative Sentiment > -1.5 and <= -0.5, Neutral Sentiment > -0.5 and < 0.5, Positive Sentiment >= 0.5 and < 1.5, and Very Positive Sentiment >= 1.5.Skip Chart WDC vs. The Competition Export to ExcelMetricWestern DigitalCOMP IndustryComputer SectorNASDAQ ExchangeMarket Cap$44.18B$14.93B$32.88B$10.59BDividend Yield0.35%1.05%3.19%4.78%P/E Ratio25.0256.26493.6527.43Price / Sales4.663.551,531.22183.24Price / Cash18.7035.4137.7961.86Price / Book8.5013.357.666.79Net Income$1.89B$462.72M$820.59M$276.90M7 Day Performance8.03%-1.44%-0.07%0.29%1 Month Performance25.43%13.94%6.05%7.59%1 Year Performance90.74%72.63%23,955.69%39.41% Western Digital Competitors List Export to ExcelCompanyMarketRankShare PriceAnalysts' Price Target1Y Price PerformanceMarket CapRevenueP/E RatioEmployee CountIndicator(s)WDCWestern Digital4.4378 of 5 stars$129.31+7.4%$101.21-21.7%+79.9%$44.18B$9.52B25.0240,000Upcoming EarningsAnalyst UpgradeGap UpAMATApplied Materials4.5488 of 5 stars$223.91+2.9%$195.12-12.9%+19.1%$178.38B$27.18B26.6935,700Analyst UpgradeGap UpLRCXLam Research4.5444 of 5 stars$149.15+2.3%$119.20-20.1%+89.6%$188.08B$18.44B35.8519,000Positive NewsUpcoming EarningsAnalyst ForecastInsider TradeGap UpMKSIMKS4.0747 of 5 stars$139.47+1.2%$119.80-14.1%+31.2%$9.37B$3.74B35.4010,200Analyst ForecastGap UpMUMicron Technology4.8637 of 5 stars$190.96+1.7%$187.08-2.0%+84.0%$213.71B$37.38B25.1648,000Trending NewsAnalyst UpgradeGap UpSTXSeagate Technology4.6784 of 5 stars$242.83-3.9%$193.32-20.4%+96.2%$51.72B$9.10B35.8730,000Trending NewsAnalyst ForecastInsider TradeGap UpNTAPNetApp4.0614 of 5 stars$120.42+1.4%$124.07+3.0%-3.1%$24.04B$6.57B21.2811,700News CoverageAnalyst ForecastInsider TradeSNDKSandisk1.4479 of 5 stars$121.17-5.6%$77.50-36.0%N/A$17.67B$7.36B0.0011,000News CoverageAnalyst ForecastHigh Trading VolumeSYNASynaptics3.3951 of 5 stars$68.83-0.5%$90.43+31.4%-6.5%$2.66B$1.07B-56.881,700News CoverageIMMRImmersion3.0725 of 5 stars$7.20+2.3%$12.25+70.1%-14.0%$233.25M$163.13M2.5920Analyst ForecastSMCISuper Micro Computer4.2443 of 5 stars$54.62+5.1%$45.36-17.0%+12.9%$32.46B$21.97B32.906,238Positive News Related Companies and Tools Related Companies AMAT Alternatives LRCX Alternatives MKSI Alternatives MU Alternatives STX Alternatives NTAP Alternatives SNDK Alternatives SYNA Alternatives IMMR Alternatives SMCI Alternatives Top 10 Stock Comparisons Semiconductor Stocks Artificial Intelligence Stocks Growth Stocks Magnificent Seven Stocks Pharmaceutical Stocks Ecommerce Stocks Bitcoin Stocks Meme Stocks Cryptocurrency Stocks Cybersecurity Stocks This page (NASDAQ:WDC) was last updated on 10/16/2025 by MarketBeat.com Staff From Our PartnersURGENT: The Market's 3 Red Flags Are FlashingHere’s the uncomfortable truth: The smartest investors in the world are already preparing for a crash befor...StockEarnings | SponsoredOptions Pro Reveals His #1 Retirement Income TradeThe current market is creating a perfect setup for my favorite trading strategy — one that doesn’t rely on ris...Base Camp Trading | SponsoredNEW LAW: Congress Approves Setup For Digital Dollar?Trump Ally Says Congress Approved the Setup for a Digital Dollar 2.0 But according to Rep. Marjorie Taylor ...Goldco Precious Metals | SponsoredAn $8 trillion-dollar discovery 17,000 ft underwater A strange rock pulled from the ocean floor may hold the key to a $16 trillion resource boom. Inside it: materi...Porter & Company | SponsoredAltucher: It Looks Like My Trump prediction is coming trueNew Hampshire just launched a Strategic Crypto Reserve — and James Altucher says it’s the first sign that “Tru...Paradigm Press | SponsoredFront-Run Buffett's Shocking Gold MoveA Historic Gold Announcement Is About to Rock Wall Street? For months, sharp-eyed analysts have watched the...Golden Portfolio | SponsoredGenerate up to $5,000/month with 10X less money?The secret to retiring without a million-dollar nest egg. I'm talking about generating enough monthly inco...Investors Alley | SponsoredHe Called Nvidia at $1.10. Now, He Says THIS Stock Will…A Millionaire With SEVEN Clicks? $1,000 in just seven stocks in 2004 could have turned into a million-dolla...The Oxford Club | Sponsored Adding Choose a watchlist: Watchlist Adding You have already added ten stocks to your watchlist. Upgrade to MarketBeat All Access to add more stocks to your watchlist. Adding Western Digital Corporation Please log in to your account or sign up in order to add this asset to your watchlist. Share Western Digital With A Colleague Link copied to clipboard. Get 30 Days of MarketBeat All Access for Free Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools. Start Your 30-Day Trial MarketBeat All Access Features Best-in-Class Portfolio Monitoring Get personalized stock ideas. Compare portfolio to indices. Check stock news, ratings, SEC filings, and more. Stock Ideas and Recommendations See daily stock ideas from top analysts. Receive short-term trading ideas from MarketBeat. Identify trending stocks on social media. Advanced Stock Screeners and Research Tools Use our seven stock screeners to find suitable stocks. Stay informed with MarketBeat's real-time news. Export data to Excel for personal analysis. Sign in to your free account to enjoy these benefits In-depth profiles and analysis for 20,000 public companies. Real-time analyst ratings, insider transactions, earnings data, and more. Our daily ratings and market update email newsletter. Sign in to your free account to enjoy all that MarketBeat has to offer. Sign In Create Account Your Email Address: Email Address Required Your Password: Password Required Log In or Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Google Forgot your password? Your Email Address: Please enter your email address. Please enter a valid email address Choose a Password: Please enter your password. Your password must be at least 8 characters long and contain at least 1 number, 1 letter, and 1 special character. Create My Account (Free) or Sign in with Facebook Sign in with Google By creating a free account, you agree to our terms of service. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.