SanDisk shares rise 5.93% intraday after S&P 500 inclusion and strong AI demand drive buying.

SanDisk (SNDK) surged 5.93% intraday following reports of its inclusion in the S&P 500 index, triggering mandatory index fund buying and validating its post-spin-off success amid strong AI-driven NAND demand. Analyst upgrades, including a raised price target to $300 by Bank of America, and sector-wide NAND price hikes due to tight supply and surging data center demand further bolstered investor sentiment. Despite industry-wide delivery delays reported by Transcend, SanDisk’s pricing power and strategic positioning in high-margin enterprise storage markets reinforced confidence, aligning with TrendForce’s analysis of tightening NAND wafer supply and rising contract prices. The stock’s rally reflects optimism around sustained profitability amid structural demand tailwinds.