Western Digital Rises 0.22% on $500M Volume Ranking 198th Amid HDD-Flash Strategic Split

On August 14, 2025, Western Digital (WDC) rose 0.22% with a trading volume of $0.5 billion, ranking 198th in market activity. The stock’s performance aligns with recent corporate developments, including a strategic separation of its HDD and Flash businesses and a significant institutional stake in its shares.

The company’s 2025 10-K filing highlighted a 51% year-over-year revenue increase to $9.52 billion, driven by higher average selling prices and unit sales. Operational improvements lifted gross profit by $1.92 billion, while operating income surged to $2.33 billion from a $403 million loss in 2024. The separation of its Flash business into Sandisk Corporation, completed in February 2025, is expected to enhance focus and operational efficiency for both entities.

A Schedule 13G filing revealed Managed Account Advisors LLC holds 6.4% of Western Digital’s shares, or 22.18 million shares, with sole dispositive power over nearly the entire stake. Notably, the firm disclosed no voting rights, indicating a passive economic position. This ownership concentration could influence liquidity dynamics but does not signal governance intervention or active management engagement.

A backtested strategy of purchasing the top 500 volume-driven stocks and holding for one day from 2022 to 2025 yielded a compound annual growth rate of 6.98%. However, the approach faced a 15.59% peak-to-trough drawdown in mid-2023, underscoring the volatility inherent in high-volume trading strategies.