Western Digital's 970% surge reveals AI's hidden storage crisis as hyperscalers lock in supply
Western Digital soared 970% in less than a year, becoming the second-best S&P 500 performer in 2025. The storage maker secured multi-year procurement agreements with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud as AI training demands overwhelm existing data storage infrastructure. With 215 exabytes shipped in Q2 2026 and margins hitting 46.1%, the company is betting on HAMR technology to deliver 100TB drives by 2029.