Western Digital, Seagate Rise as AI Memory Shortage Lifts Storage Stocks

Western Digital Corp. (WDC) and Seagate Technology (STX) shares rose May 14, 2026, as investor concern over a global memory and storage shortage intensified amid AI-driven demand for data-center infrastructure. Memory-market sentiment strengthened after Micron posted its best weekly gain in years and Samsung’s market value topped $1 trillion. DRAM contract prices rose sharply in the second quarter of 2026, while cloud companies are already securing 2027 supply, reflecting tight capacity across memory producers. Western Digital shares reached a 52-week high of $513.21, up 173% year to date. The stock had gained 5.4% six days earlier after the company reported fiscal third-quarter results above analyst expectations, citing strong demand for high-capacity hard disk drives used in AI applications. Management said its 2026 HDD capacity is fully committed and raised the quarterly dividend by 20%.