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Western Digital Corp.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 30 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 10 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 27% year over year: Revenue was $2,818 million, up 8% from the prior quarter’s $2,605 million. Source
  • GAAP EPS lifted by Sandisk stake gain: GAAP diluted EPS was $3.07 against non-GAAP $1.78. The GAAP figure includes a $611 million gain on the retained Sandisk interest, which non-GAAP results exclude. Source
  • Non-GAAP gross margin reached 43.9%: Non-GAAP gross margin was 43.9%, up 260 basis points from the prior quarter and 660 from a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 43.5%. Source
  • Operating and free cash flow reported: Operating cash flow was $672 million and free cash flow $599 million, against $746 million and $675 million in the prior quarter. Source
  • Buybacks of $553 million in quarter: Repurchases of common stock totalled $553 million in the quarter, against $149 million in the prior quarter. Source
  • Quarterly dividend raised 25%: The board raised the quarterly cash dividend by 25% to $0.125 per share, from $0.10 in the prior release. Source

“As AI accelerates data creation, Western Digital’s continued innovation and operational discipline position us well to capture new opportunities and drive sustained shareholder value.”

Irving Tan, CEO of Western Digital

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFiscal second quarter 2026$2.9B +/- $100MNew
Revenue growth SourceFiscal second quarter 202620% year over year at mid-pointNew
Gross margin (non-GAAP) SourceFiscal second quarter 202644% - 45%New
Operating expenses (non-GAAP) SourceFiscal second quarter 2026$365M - $375MNew
Interest and other expense, net SourceFiscal second quarter 2026~ $50MNew
Tax rate (non-GAAP) SourceFiscal second quarter 2026~ 17%New
Diluted EPS (non-GAAP) SourceFiscal second quarter 2026$1.88 +/- $0.15New
Diluted weighted average shares SourceFiscal second quarter 2026~ 375MNew
Capped call share benefit SourceFiscal second quarter 20264 million sharesNew
Excluded items from EPS guidance SourceFiscal second quarter 2026$50 million to $60 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Guidance was given for fiscal second quarter 2026; the prior release had covered fiscal first quarter 2026.
  • New: Non-GAAP diluted EPS now uses non-GAAP diluted shares that include the capped call benefit, and prior periods were revised to match. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 27% year over year: Revenue was $2,818 million, up 8% from the prior quarter’s $2,605 million. Source
  • GAAP EPS lifted by Sandisk stake gain: GAAP diluted EPS was $3.07 against non-GAAP $1.78. The GAAP figure includes a $611 million gain on the retained Sandisk interest, which non-GAAP results exclude. Source
  • Sandisk no longer consolidated: Sandisk has not been consolidated since the February 21, 2025 separation, so figures cover WDC on a continuing-operations basis. Source
  • GAAP net income from continuing operations up: GAAP net income from continuing operations was $1,182 million, against $153 million a year earlier. Source

Margins and operating costs

  • Non-GAAP gross margin reached 43.9%: Non-GAAP gross margin was 43.9%, up 260 basis points from the prior quarter and 660 from a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 43.5%. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating margin expanded: Non-GAAP operating margin was 30.4%, up from 28.1% in the prior quarter and 18.4% a year earlier. Non-GAAP operating income was $856 million. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating expenses rose: Non-GAAP operating expenses were $381 million, up from $345 million in the prior quarter and down from $419 million a year earlier. Source

“We expect continued revenue growth driven by data center demand, and improved profitability led by the adoption of our high-capacity drives.”

Kris Sennesael, CFO of Western Digital

Demand, products and guidance basis

  • Cloud data storage drives demand: Management attributed the demand environment to growth of data storage in the cloud. Source
  • High-capacity drives lift profitability: Management expects profitability to improve through adoption of high-capacity drives, alongside continued revenue growth from data center demand. Source
  • Earnings guidance given non-GAAP only: Management gives earnings guidance only on a non-GAAP basis, because some GAAP reconciling items are hard to estimate in advance. Source

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Operating and free cash flow reported: Operating cash flow was $672 million and free cash flow $599 million, against $746 million and $675 million in the prior quarter. Source
  • Cash balance edged lower: Cash and cash equivalents were $2,048 million, against $2,114 million at June 27, 2025. Source
  • Long-term debt slightly reduced: Long-term debt was $2,457 million, against $2,485 million at June 27, 2025, while the $2,226 million current portion was unchanged. Source
  • Retained Sandisk stake rose on balance sheet: The retained interest in Sandisk was $965 million, against $354 million at June 27, 2025. Source

Capital returns to shareholders

  • Buybacks of $553 million in quarter: Repurchases of common stock totalled $553 million in the quarter, against $149 million in the prior quarter. Source
  • Financing outflow of $678 million: Net cash used in financing activities was $678 million, against $102 million a year earlier, covering share repurchases, dividends and debt items. Source
  • Quarterly dividend raised 25%: The board raised the quarterly cash dividend by 25% to $0.125 per share, from $0.10 in the prior release. Source

Strategy and customer focus

  • Vision centers on data: Management describes the company's vision as unleashing the power and value of data. Source
  • Hyperscalers and cloud providers targeted: Management says the company is committed to providing scalable, sustainable technology to hyperscalers, enterprises and cloud providers. Source
  • Storage innovation record cited: Management points to decades of leadership in storage innovation as the base for next-generation products. Source

Coming up, as management said on 30 October 2025

  • Dividend payment and record dates: The declared quarterly dividend is payable December 18, 2025, to holders of record at the close of business on December 4, 2025. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Gross margin Source43.9% non-GAAP; 43.5% GAAP

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Reported GAAP results can move with the mark-to-market value of the retained Sandisk interest, which non-GAAP results exclude. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said revenue and gross margin for the quarter were above the high end of the guidance range. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.