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Western Digital and Seagate Surge as AI Infrastructure Demand Fuels Record Gains

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Shares of data storage leaders Western Digital and Seagate have skyrocketed this year, outpacing the broader market as global demand for AI-driven infrastructure fuels unprecedented growth in hard drive sales. Both companies’ stocks have surged over 200% in 2025, reaching record highs amid a worldwide scramble to expand data storage capacity for artificial intelligence applications.

Western Digital shares rose more than 11% on Friday after the company forecast second-quarter earnings above Wall Street estimates. Analysts at J.P. Morgan noted that Western Digital has secured purchase orders from five of its largest customers through 2026, signaling strong confidence in sustained AI-related demand.

Seagate, a close rival, also projected revenue and profit above expectations earlier this week, pushing its stock up more than 22%. Both companies are now among the top three performers in the S&P 500 this year, trailing only Robinhood.

Smaller competitor Sandisk, spun off from Western Digital in February, has seen its shares soar fivefold since its debut and was up another 3.6% on Friday ahead of its upcoming earnings report.

The S&P 1500 tech hardware, storage, and peripherals sector—which includes all three companies—has climbed more than 12% this year, hitting an all-time high. As major tech firms like Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon ramp up capital spending on chips and data centers, analysts expect global AI infrastructure investments to reach up to $4 trillion by 2030.

Investors weigh risks that could derail Wall Street’s AI-driven rally

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Artificial intelligence has fueled a powerful stock market rally since 2022, but investors are increasingly alert to the potential risks that could threaten the “AI trade” underpinning record market highs. Citigroup estimates nearly half of the S&P 500’s $57 trillion market capitalization now has “high” or “medium” exposure to AI, making the technology a defining force on Wall Street.

The S&P 500 is up 13% this year, while the Nasdaq Composite has gained 17%, driven largely by tech and AI-linked companies. Yet analysts warn that the sector’s strength also makes it vulnerable to shocks. Concerns have surfaced before — from China’s launch of the low-cost AI model Deepseek to fears about runaway spending on data centers — though markets have repeatedly rebounded.

“There’s a lot of growth priced in,” said Steve Lowe of Thrivent Financial. “That’s the concern — whether the expectations can really hold up.”

Massive capital spending remains a central focus. Barclays projects that annual AI-related infrastructure investment by major “hyperscalers” — including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Oracle — will double to $500 billion by 2027. While these companies generate vast cash reserves, analysts caution that overspending could pressure margins or lead to greater leverage.

Others highlight systemic risks from the close financial ties within the AI ecosystem, such as Nvidia’s recent $100 billion commitment to OpenAI. Energy infrastructure is another growing concern, with power supply seen as a potential bottleneck for new data centers.

Some investors remain bullish over the next 12 to 18 months, but warn that any slowdown in AI spending or signs that investments aren’t yielding expected returns could shake market confidence. “If it starts to look like the payoff isn’t coming,” said Patrick Ryan of Madison Investments, “that could be what finally trips the trade.”

Oracle’s Record-Breaking Surge Highlights AI Trade’s Dominance in Markets

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Wall Street’s AI-driven rally hit another milestone this week as Oracle’s shares soared 36%, pushing its market value to $922 billion and reinforcing artificial intelligence as the defining force behind 2025’s equity boom.

Oracle’s AI Catalyst

  • The surge followed Oracle’s disclosure of four multi-billion-dollar cloud contracts driven by demand from AI companies such as OpenAI and xAI.

  • The move places Oracle among the 10 most valuable U.S. companies, overtaking names like Eli Lilly, JPMorgan, and Walmart.

  • Oracle’s stock has nearly doubled in 2025, making it one of the top S&P 500 performers.

AI Trade in Context

  • Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Palantir, Broadcom, Meta Platforms, and Oracle together have accounted for about half of the S&P 500’s 11% gain this year.

  • Nvidia remains the world’s most valuable company at $4.3 trillion, despite a minor pullback after its August sales forecast.

  • The technology sector overall is up 16% year-to-date, with forward P/E ratios at 28x earnings — well above the 10-year average of 22x.

Broader Market Impact

  • AI-linked stocks now dominate trading activity: 9 of the 10 most traded companies this week were AI-related (Apple being the lone exception).

  • The enthusiasm has spread beyond tech: utilities and industrials like GE Vernova, Constellation Energy, and Vistra are gaining on expectations of higher energy demand to fuel AI infrastructure.

  • This has lifted the S&P 500’s overall valuation to 22x forward earnings, near a four-year high.

Investor Sentiment

Despite concerns about overheating, analysts see Oracle’s surge as proof that capital continues flowing heavily into AI plays.

“I was very surprised by the magnitude of the (Oracle) jump and it shows there is still a lot of life left in the AI trade,” said Chuck Carlson of Horizon Investment Services.