WDC
Western Digital Corporation Technology - Data Storage Investor Relations →
Western Digital Corporation (WDC) closed at $282.58 as of 2026-02-02, trading 409.4% above its 200-week moving average of $55.48. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 361.3% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 87, WDC is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2418 weeks of data, WDC has crossed below its 200-week moving average 31 times. On average, these episodes lasted 30 weeks. Historically, investors who bought WDC at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +40.8%.
With a market cap of $96.6 billion, WDC is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 4.0%. Return on equity stands at 41.1%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 13.5x book value.
Share count has increased 10.2% over three years, indicating dilution.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in WDC would have grown to $10388, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 15.0% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming WDC as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 19.1% compound annual rate, with 1 consecutive year of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: WDC vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After WDC Crosses Below the Line?
Across 18 historical episodes, buying WDC when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +27.0% after 12 months (median -13.0%), compared to +10.7% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 47% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +37.8% vs +29.6% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment WDC crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
WDC has crossed below its 200-week MA 31 times with an average 1-year return of +40.8% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1979 | Oct 1979 | 2 | 8.7% | +478.9% | +39266.3% |
| Apr 1982 | Jan 1983 | 37 | 41.0% | +93.5% | +16160.0% |
| Dec 1983 | Dec 1983 | 1 | 1.3% | N/A | +11232.7% |
| Mar 1984 | Mar 1984 | 1 | 0.4% | +33.3% | +10740.0% |
| Apr 1984 | May 1984 | 5 | 13.3% | +40.9% | +11232.7% |
| May 1984 | Aug 1984 | 11 | 24.7% | +58.8% | +10899.4% |
| Oct 1984 | Oct 1984 | 1 | 1.2% | -17.6% | +10899.4% |
| Oct 1984 | Dec 1984 | 8 | 13.8% | -9.4% | +11586.9% |
| Sep 1985 | Nov 1985 | 12 | 21.6% | +57.7% | +10434.6% |
| Nov 1987 | Dec 1987 | 5 | 17.0% | -9.2% | +6762.0% |
| Jan 1988 | Mar 1988 | 9 | 20.0% | +4.7% | +6890.3% |
| Mar 1988 | Apr 1988 | 4 | 4.4% | -21.8% | +6185.4% |
| May 1988 | Nov 1992 | 233 | 78.7% | -22.2% | +6292.8% |
| Mar 1993 | Oct 1993 | 30 | 40.4% | +255.6% | +16521.3% |
| Dec 1997 | Jan 1998 | 6 | 12.4% | -0.8% | +2868.1% |
| Mar 1998 | Mar 1998 | 3 | 3.5% | -43.4% | +2722.5% |
| May 1998 | Apr 2002 | 202 | 84.6% | -49.1% | +2580.9% |
| Apr 2002 | Oct 2002 | 25 | 46.7% | +52.9% | +7626.8% |
| Jul 2004 | Aug 2004 | 3 | 7.9% | +113.8% | +6568.7% |
| Sep 2008 | Mar 2009 | 26 | 49.2% | +87.9% | +2386.6% |
| Jul 2010 | Sep 2010 | 8 | 8.0% | +30.6% | +1671.4% |
| Aug 2011 | Nov 2011 | 15 | 17.0% | +72.2% | +1670.1% |
| May 2012 | Jul 2012 | 5 | 3.7% | +114.2% | +1452.6% |
| Oct 2015 | Jan 2017 | 62 | 48.5% | -7.9% | +556.2% |
| Jul 2018 | Sep 2019 | 58 | 47.5% | -16.9% | +468.4% |
| Sep 2019 | Dec 2019 | 13 | 19.8% | -36.8% | +537.2% |
| Feb 2020 | Feb 2021 | 49 | 49.6% | +25.0% | +584.3% |
| Oct 2021 | Nov 2021 | 3 | 6.6% | -39.1% | +577.3% |
| Jan 2022 | Apr 2022 | 13 | 15.7% | -9.9% | +652.1% |
| Jun 2022 | Dec 2023 | 78 | 40.8% | -12.7% | +709.7% |
| Mar 2025 | Apr 2025 | 3 | 24.4% | N/A | +828.8% |
| Average | 30 | — | +40.8% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02