New York, Feb 13, 2026, 10:34 (EST) — Regular session
- Western Digital slipped around 2% at the open in New York, giving back some of Thursday’s gains.
- A sharp tech selloff has investors on edge, with inflation data now reshaping bets on rate cuts.
- Attention turns to buybacks, guidance, and the March dividend schedule.
Western Digital Corp slid 2.3% to $277.50 as of 10:19 a.m. EST on Friday, after touching a session low of $266.67. Seagate sank 3.8%, Micron slipped 2.4%. NetApp, on the other hand, gained 3.3%.
After a steep tech drop the previous day, investors are reassessing the pace at which AI investments will actually deliver profits. “We see this as a ‘prove it’ year for AI. We need to start seeing some return on investments,” said Jack Herr, primary investment analyst at GuideStone Funds. 1
Fresh inflation data landed Friday: U.S. consumer prices climbed 0.2% in January, up 2.4% year-over-year. Both figures came in lighter than economists had anticipated. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, posted a 0.3% monthly gain, according to the Labor Department. Wall Street’s main indexes opened mostly flat as traders considered what the numbers might mean for the Federal Reserve, which held its policy rate steady at 3.50%-3.75% in its latest meeting. 2
Western Digital shares finished Thursday up 3.78% at $284.10, notching a second consecutive advance and turning over about 13 million shares—well ahead of its 50-day average of 9.3 million, according to MarketWatch data. Still, the stock trailed behind some peers on what proved to be a tough session for the market as a whole. 3
The stock’s turned into a quick lever for investors betting on the AI data-center boom—and on whether that momentum holds up as the macro outlook gets choppy.
Western Digital’s board signed off on another $4.0 billion for share repurchases earlier this month, adding to the $484 million still available from the previous buyback as of Feb. 2. The company buys back its own shares—cutting the total number trading. CEO Irving Tan said, “The expanded $4.0 billion buyback authorization demonstrates our confidence in WD’s future.” 4
Back in late January, the company posted fiscal Q2 revenue of $3.02 billion—a 25% jump over last year—and reported non-GAAP earnings of $2.13 per share. Non-GAAP results exclude certain items for a different read on the business. “Our business continues to strengthen,” CFO Kris Sennesael said, as the outlook landed at $3.2 billion in fiscal Q3 revenue, give or take $100 million, with non-GAAP EPS expected at $2.30, plus or minus $0.15. 5
Even so, tech action this week isn’t just about individual names. On Thursday, investors piled back into safer plays, dragging the U.S. 10-year yield down to its lowest point of 2026—a sharp signal that big moves in rates and a shift in risk appetite can easily overshadow whatever’s happening at the single-stock level. 6
Market focus turns to Western Digital to see if the stock finds its footing following Friday’s early slide, and whether buybacks step in should the turbulence continue. Eyes next shift to March 5—that’s the record date for its 12.5-cent quarterly dividend. Payout lands March 18.
