ZACKS·2025-11-26 13:16Core Insights - The AI data storage market is rapidly expanding, with a projected CAGR of 17.2%, reaching $774 billion by 2032 from $255.3 billion in 2025 [2] - Seagate Technology (STX) and Micron Technology (MU) are positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for high-capacity drives and advanced memory for AI infrastructure [3][8] - Both companies are currently rated as Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), but MU appears more attractive from a valuation perspective [24] Seagate Technology (STX) - Seagate's product roadmap focuses on enterprise, exabyte-scale storage solutions, enhancing value for customers and shareholders [4] - The company shipped over 1 million Mozaic drives in the September quarter and is advancing towards 5TB-per-disk technology by early 2028 [5] - Seagate's business transformation and strong product portfolio position it for long-term growth, with expectations of continued demand from global cloud providers [6] - The company has reduced debt by $684 million in fiscal 2025 while maintaining capital returns, reflecting a disciplined approach to capital allocation [7] - Challenges include foreign exchange volatility, intense competition, and elevated debt levels, which may restrict growth [9] Micron Technology (MU) - Micron is benefiting from strong AI-driven memory demand, with its data center business accounting for 56% of total revenue in fiscal 2025 [10][11] - The company expects data center server demand to rise by around 10% in 2025, driven by enterprise workloads and AI [12] - Micron has demonstrated solid cash-flow generation, reducing total debt by $900 million in the last reported quarter [13] - However, the company faces competition in the memory market, which could pressure pricing and profitability [15] Price Performance and Valuation - Over the past six months, MU has gained 133%, outperforming STX and the Zacks Computer-Integrated Systems industry's growth of 123.8% and 59.9% respectively [16] - MU's shares trade at a price/earnings ratio of 13.16X forward earnings, lower than STX's 21.79X [17] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MU's earnings for fiscal 2026 has been revised up by 5.9% to $17.17, while STX's estimate has increased by 7.9% to $11.26 [18][22]