Western Digital Management
Management criteria checks 2/4
Western Digital's CEO is Irving Tan, appointed in Oct 2024, has a tenure of 1.58 years. total yearly compensation is $11.53M, comprised of 7.2% salary and 92.8% bonuses, including company stock and options. directly owns 0.17% of the company’s shares, worth $292.35M. The average tenure of the management team and the board of directors is 1.3 years and 7.5 years respectively.
Key information
Irving Tan
Chief executive officer
US$11.5m
Total compensation
| CEO salary percentage | 7.25% |
| CEO tenure | 1.6yrs |
| CEO ownership | 0.2% |
| Management average tenure | 1.3yrs |
| Board average tenure | 7.5yrs |
Recent management updates
Recent updates
Seeking Alpha • Apr 29
Western Digital: This Bull Run May Just Be Starting
Summary Western Digital Corp. is rated a buy as cloud-driven demand and tight supply drive earnings and margin expansion. WDC's revenue is set to rebound, with Q3 sales expected to be up 40% YoY and adjusted EPS projected at $2.39, a 75% YoY increase. Long-term contracts with major cloud providers and a roadmap for higher-capacity drives (40TB+ this year, 100TB by 2029) underpin forward growth. Valuation has risen (PE from 8x to 38x), but PEG remains extremely low at 0.04x, reflecting strong growth expectations and manageable competitive risk. Read the full article on Seeking Alpha
Narrative Update • Apr 28
WDC: AI Storage And Buybacks Will Support EPS Floor While Expectations Rise
Analysts have lifted the Western Digital price target by about $51, reflecting updated assumptions for faster revenue growth, a higher future P/E multiple, and revised margin expectations following a series of recent target hikes across the Street. Analyst Commentary Recent research points to a strong wave of optimism around Western Digital, with multiple firms lifting price targets by wide margins and a few highlighting valuation and execution risks for investors to watch.
Narrative Update • Apr 13
WDC: AI Storage Optimism And Rich P/E Will Drive Future Downside Risk
Western Digital's updated fair value estimate has shifted from $170 to about $227 per share, reflecting analysts' higher assessed revenue growth potential, a slightly adjusted margin outlook, and a richer future P/E assumption following a broad wave of Street price target increases. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research on Western Digital has been dominated by higher price targets and rating upgrades, including moves from large firms such as JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, BofA, Citi and Wells Fargo.
Narrative Update • Mar 30
WDC: AI Storage And $20 EPS Roadmap Will Drive Future Upside
Narrative Update: Western Digital Analyst Price Target The updated analyst price target for Western Digital reflects a recalibrated view that incorporates higher projected revenue growth, slightly adjusted discount rate assumptions, and modestly lower future P/E expectations. Analysts point to management's confidence in $20 plus EPS, a path toward higher margins, and AI driven storage demand as key supports for the revised valuation in the $300 plus range.
New Narrative • Mar 17
Western Digital Corp (WDC): The HDD Renaissance and the "Road to $20 EPS"
Western Digital has successfully rebranded itself as the "Pure-Play" king of mass-capacity storage. By shedding the volatile NAND Flash segment, the company has allowed its Nearline HDD business to shine as the fundamental backbone of the AI data economy.Narrative Update • Mar 16
WDC: AI Storage Demand Will Support EPS Floor And Margin Expansion
Western Digital's analyst price target is maintained at $321, as analysts point to reaffirmed management confidence in a $20-plus EPS floor, long term goals for higher gross and EBIT margins, and growing AI-driven storage demand as key supports for the valuation. Analyst Commentary Recent research commentary around Western Digital has been broadly constructive, with several firms updating price targets and highlighting the same core themes that management underscored at the investor conference.Narrative Update • Mar 02
WDC: AI Storage Demand Will Support Higher Margins And Cash Returns
Western Digital's analyst price target has been updated to $321. Analysts point to modeled assumptions of higher revenue growth, wider profit margins, a slightly lower discount rate and a modestly reduced future P/E multiple as key drivers of the change.Narrative Update • Feb 16
WDC: Future AI Storage Demand And HDD Pricing May Support Upside
Analysts have lifted their implied fair value estimate for Western Digital to $440.00 per share. They cite updated assumptions that include higher revenue growth, stronger profit margins and a slightly lower discount rate, along with a P/E outlook broadly consistent with prior expectations and a series of recent price target increases across the Street.Narrative Update • Feb 02
WDC: Elevated HDD Pricing And Margin Assumptions Will Drive Future Downside Risk
Analysts lifted their Western Digital fair value estimate to $170 from $145, citing higher assumed revenue growth, wider profit margins, and a lower future P/E multiple reflected across a wave of recent price target increases from major firms. Analyst Commentary Across recent research, Western Digital has attracted a series of higher price targets from major firms, including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Mizuho.Narrative Update • Jan 19
WDC: Elevated HDD Pricing Assumptions Will Drive Future Downside Surprise Risk
Analysts have lifted their price target on Western Digital from US$42.07 to US$145.00, citing updated assumptions around revenue growth, profitability, and a higher future P/E multiple in line with recent bullish Street research. Analyst Commentary Recent Street research around Western Digital has clustered around higher price targets and more constructive earnings assumptions, but there are still some clear pockets of caution that are worth flagging if you are thinking about risk and reward.Analysis Article • Jan 16
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) Stocks Shoot Up 27% But Its P/S Still Looks Reasonable
Despite an already strong run, Western Digital Corporation ( NASDAQ:WDC ) shares have been powering on, with a gain of...Narrative Update • Jan 05
WDC: Future HDD Demand And AI Storage Needs May Support Upside
Analysts have lifted their fair value estimate for Western Digital to about $242.69 from $85.00, citing higher price targets supported by stronger than expected shipments, firm pricing, gross margin upside, and improved long term P/E and profitability assumptions. Analyst Commentary Bullish analysts have been lifting their price targets across a wide range, pointing to stronger shipment trends, firm pricing, and upside in both gross and operating margins as key drivers of their updated views on Western Digital.Narrative Update • Dec 19
WDC: AI Storage Demand Will Support Higher Margins Amid Cycle Uncertainty
Analysts have nudged our Western Digital fair value estimate higher to about $187 per share from roughly $181, reflecting stronger than expected enterprise HDD and NAND demand, improving pricing and margin dynamics, and higher forward valuation multiples following a series of Street price target hikes into the $135 to $200 range. Analyst Commentary Bullish analysts have broadly raised price targets into the mid 100s to $200 range, citing a combination of better than expected earnings execution, improving supply demand conditions in both HDD and NAND, and rising confidence in Western Digital's ability to sustain higher margins through the current cycle.Narrative Update • Dec 05
WDC: AI Storage Demand Will Sustain Tight Supply And Margin Upside
Analysts nudged our Western Digital fair value estimate modestly higher, from $180.57 to $181.43, citing a wave of sharply higher Street price targets that reflect stronger than expected exabyte shipments, tighter HDD and NAND supply, improving pricing, and conviction that AI driven storage demand will support structurally higher growth and margins. Analyst Commentary Street research has turned meaningfully more constructive on Western Digital, with a series of higher price targets reflecting a stronger fundamental and cyclical backdrop across both HDD and NAND.Narrative Update • Nov 21
WDC: Accelerating AI-Driven Demand Will Sustain Tight Supply And Margin Upside
Western Digital's analyst-derived fair value has been raised significantly, increasing from approximately $167 to $181 per share. Analysts attribute this to stronger earnings, robust demand, and improved pricing dynamics, as reflected in recent price target increases across the Street.Analysis Article • Nov 07
Impressive Earnings May Not Tell The Whole Story For Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC)
Western Digital Corporation ( NASDAQ:WDC ) just reported some strong earnings, and the market reacted accordingly with...Narrative Update • Nov 06
WDC: Future Demand Trends And Supply Tightness Will Shape Share Performance
The consensus analyst price target for Western Digital has been raised significantly, increasing from approximately $126 to $167 per share. Analysts point to strong earnings, expanding margins, and robust demand outlooks as major drivers for the upgrade.Narrative Update • Oct 22
Analysts Boost Western Digital Price Targets Amid Stronger Outlook and Positive Valuation Shifts
Western Digital's fair value estimate has been raised significantly from approximately $104 to $126 per share. Analysts cite strengthening demand dynamics, improving profitability projections, and a durable shift in industry economics as the reasons behind the upward revision.Analysis Article • Oct 19
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) Stocks Shoot Up 25% But Its P/S Still Looks Reasonable
Western Digital Corporation ( NASDAQ:WDC ) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 25% gain in the last...Narrative Update • Oct 08
AI And Hyperscaler Demand Will Expand Storage Opportunities
Western Digital's analyst price target has increased from approximately $98 to $104. Analysts cite stronger outlooks on industry demand, accelerated revenue growth, and tight supply conditions as factors supporting further upside for the company's shares.Narrative Update • Sep 24
AI And Hyperscaler Demand Will Expand Storage Opportunities
Western Digital’s analyst price target has risen from $89.14 to $97.91, driven by sharply improving demand for storage products fueled by AI and cloud expansion, price increases amid supply tightness, and growing confidence in its technology leadership. Analyst Commentary Bullish analysts cite sharply improving demand for both NAND and hard disk drives, primarily driven by artificial intelligence, cloud storage expansion, and overall data growth, with lead times for high-capacity drives extending significantly and industry supply remaining tight despite increased output.Narrative Update • Sep 09
AI And Hyperscaler Demand Will Expand Storage Opportunities
Analysts have raised Western Digital's price target to $89.14, driven by accelerating AI-led storage demand, improving fundamentals, and greater confidence in the company’s technology roadmap, partially offset by dilution from convertible notes. Analyst Commentary Bullish analysts cite accelerating AI-driven demand for storage, forecasting robust fundamentals and industry-wide tailwinds into 2026.Analysis Article • May 22
Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) Shares Could Be 28% Below Their Intrinsic Value Estimate
Key Insights Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Western Digital fair value estimate is US$68.66 Western...Analysis Article • May 22
Western Digital Corporation's (NASDAQ:WDC) 38% Price Boost Is Out Of Tune With Revenues
Western Digital Corporation ( NASDAQ:WDC ) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced...CEO Compensation Analysis
| Date | Total Compensation | Salary | Company Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 03 2026 | n/a | n/a | US$6b |
| Jan 02 2026 | n/a | n/a | US$4b |
| Oct 03 2025 | n/a | n/a | US$3b |
| Jun 27 2025 | US$12m | US$836k | US$2b |
Compensation vs Market: Irving's total compensation ($USD11.53M) is about average for companies of similar size in the US market ($USD14.74M).
Compensation vs Earnings: Insufficient data to compare Irving's compensation with company performance.
CEO
Irving Tan (55 yo)
1.6yrs
Tenure
US$11,534,369
Compensation
Mr. Tiang Yew Tan, also known as Irving, is Chief Executive Officer of Western Digital Corporation from October 10, 2024 and serves as its Director since February 2025. He was Executive Vice President of G...
Leadership Team
| Name | Position | Tenure | Compensation | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO & Director | 1.6yrs | US$11.53m | 0.17% $ 292.3m | |
| Executive VP & CFO | 1yr | US$10.22m | 0.000020% $ 33.7k | |
| Executive VP & Chief of Global Operations | 1.3yrs | US$4.71m | 0.026% $ 44.0m | |
| Executive VP | 2.3yrs | US$4.46m | 0.035% $ 58.7m | |
| Senior Vice President of Finance | 1yr | US$2.16m | 0.015% $ 24.5m | |
| Executive VP & Chief Product Officer | 1.2yrs | US$7.77m | no data | |
| Chief Investment Officer | no data | no data | no data | |
| Senior VP & Chief Accounting Officer | less than a year | no data | no data | |
| Chief Information Officer | no data | no data | no data | |
| Vice President of Investor Relations | no data | no data | no data | |
| Executive VP and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer | 1.3yrs | no data | 0.034% $ 56.5m | |
| Vice President of Strategy & Corporate Development | 1.3yrs | no data | no data |
1.3yrs
Average Tenure
56yo
Average Age
Experienced Management: WDC's management team is not considered experienced ( 1.3 years average tenure), which suggests a new team.
Board Members
| Name | Position | Tenure | Compensation | Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO & Director | 1.3yrs | US$11.53m | 0.17% $ 292.3m | |
| Independent Director | 7.8yrs | US$354.24k | 0.011% $ 18.5m | |
| Independent Director | 26.3yrs | US$474.96k | 0.0021% $ 3.5m | |
| Lead Independent Director | 7.5yrs | US$417.44k | 0.012% $ 19.7m | |
| Independent Director | 1.3yrs | US$273.21k | 0.00092% $ 1.5m | |
| Independent Chairman of the Board | 11.4yrs | US$456.95k | 0.0080% $ 13.4m | |
| Independent Director | 7.5yrs | US$364.98k | 0.0075% $ 12.6m | |
| Independent Director | 1.3yrs | US$275.07k | 0.0011% $ 1.9m |
7.5yrs
Average Tenure
64yo
Average Age
Experienced Board: WDC's board of directors are considered experienced (7.5 years average tenure).
Company Analysis and Financial Data Status
| Data | Last Updated (UTC time) |
|---|---|
| Company Analysis | 2026/05/13 15:02 |
| End of Day Share Price | 2026/05/13 00:00 |
| Earnings | 2026/04/03 |
| Annual Earnings | 2025/06/27 |
Data Sources
The data used in our company analysis is from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. The following data is used in our analysis model to generate this report. Data is normalised which can introduce a delay from the source being available.
| Package | Data | Timeframe | Example US Source * |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company Financials | 10 years |
| |
| Analyst Consensus Estimates | +3 years |
|
|
| Market Prices | 30 years |
| |
| Ownership | 10 years |
| |
| Management | 10 years |
| |
| Key Developments | 10 years |
|
* Example for US securities, for non-US equivalent regulatory forms and sources are used.
Unless specified all financial data is based on a yearly period but updated quarterly. This is known as Trailing Twelve Month (TTM) or Last Twelve Month (LTM) Data. Learn more.
Analysis Model and Snowflake
Details of the analysis model used to generate this report is available on our Github page, we also have guides on how to use our reports and tutorials on Youtube.
Learn about the world class team who designed and built the Simply Wall St analysis model.
Industry and Sector Metrics
Our industry and section metrics are calculated every 6 hours by Simply Wall St, details of our process are available on Github.
Analyst Sources
Western Digital Corporation is covered by 57 analysts. 22 of those analysts submitted the estimates of revenue or earnings used as inputs to our report. Analysts submissions are updated throughout the day.
| Analyst | Institution |
|---|---|
| Brett Simpson | Arete Research Services LLP |
| James Fontanelli | Arete Research Services LLP |
| James Kelleher | Argus Research Company |