New York, February 14, 2026, 11:20 EST — Market closed.
- Western Digital ended Friday down 0.9% at $281.58.
- The company said it will present at Morgan Stanley’s TMT conference on March 3.
- U.S. stock markets are shut on Monday for Washington’s Birthday, reopening Tuesday.
Western Digital shares slipped on Friday, closing down 0.9% at $281.58. After the bell, the data-storage maker said it will present at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media & Telecom conference on March 3. (Western Digital)
Why it matters now: the next U.S. trading session is pushed back by the Washington’s Birthday market holiday, thinning out the calendar and often amplifying any fresh corporate messaging when markets reopen. The NYSE lists Monday, Feb. 16, as a full-market holiday. (New York Stock Exchange)
For Western Digital, the March 3 appearance is one of the next scheduled moments for management to speak in public. In stocks that have run hard, a conference slot can become a stand-in catalyst — not because the event is big on its own, but because investors want something concrete to trade.
On Friday, the broader market was little changed, while storage and infrastructure names split. Seagate fell 1.2%, while NetApp and Pure Storage each rose about 4.3%, according to MarketWatch data. (MarketWatch)
Western Digital’s press release did not flag new financial targets, but it said the presentation will be webcast and replayed on its investor site. The event is set for 10:45 a.m. ET on March 3. (Western Digital)
In the meantime, the tape is still leaning on the same question: how long the AI buildout keeps pulling through storage orders. In an interview published this week, finance chief Kris Sennesael said hard-disk drives account for about “80%” of cloud storage needs, a framing bulls have latched onto as they map AI demand onto capacity spending. (Investors)
Western Digital today is more exposed to the hard-drive cycle than it used to be. It completed the separation of its flash business into Sandisk last year, leaving Western Digital as the remaining HDD-focused company. (Western Digital)
Still, there’s a but. Storage demand can turn quickly if cloud customers — the biggest buyers — pause spending or work through inventory, and Seagate remains a close peer in nearline drives, where pricing can get sharp when supply loosens.
When trading resumes on Tuesday, investors will be watching whether Western Digital holds recent levels in a holiday-thinned session, and whether new notes start to position the stock ahead of the March 3 Morgan Stanley conference appearance.
