Core Insights - The global data storage market is projected to reach $1,304.7 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 16.44% from 2025 to 2033, driven by business automation, cloud computing, and remote work trends [2] - Western Digital Corporation (WDC) and Pure Storage, Inc. (PSTG) are positioned to benefit from these trends, but their differing business models and financial metrics present varying investment opportunities [2] Group 1: Western Digital Corporation (WDC) - WDC is strategically focused on supporting the data-intensive AI ecosystem, meeting the increasing demand for storage with solid financial performance [3][4] - The company shipped 204 exabytes in the last quarter, a 23% year-over-year increase, and is set to introduce next-generation ePMR drives in early 2026 to meet rising data demands [4][7] - WDC anticipates continued revenue growth due to strong data center demand and higher-capacity drive adoption, with AI applications driving ongoing demand for scalable data infrastructure [5][8] - The company raised its quarterly dividend by 25% to 12.5 cents, returning $785 million to shareholders since FY25, indicating strong financial health and commitment to shareholder returns [7][8] - WDC's shares trade at a forward P/E ratio of 19.45, significantly lower than PSTG's 82.84, highlighting its valuation appeal [7][18] Group 2: Pure Storage, Inc. (PSTG) - PSTG benefits from increasing adoption of its Enterprise Data Cloud architecture and strong traction with hyperscalers, maintaining a positive outlook despite macroeconomic uncertainties [10][11] - The company’s platform, powered by the Purity operating system, supports non-disruptive services and the Storage-as-a-Service model, enhancing its market position [11] - PSTG's FlashBlade solutions are in high demand, supporting its growth in handling AI-driven applications and modern workloads [12][13] - The company added over 300 new customers in the fiscal second quarter, bringing its total to more than 13,500, including 62% of the Fortune 500 [13] - PSTG faces competition in the flash storage market, which may impact pricing and margins, and it has an accumulated operating loss of $1.35 billion [15] Group 3: Comparative Performance and Outlook - Over the past year, WDC's stock has increased by 120.6%, outperforming PSTG and the broader industry [17] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WDC's earnings for fiscal 2026 has been revised up by 13% to $7.38, while PSTG's estimate remains stagnant at $1.97 [19][23] - WDC holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), while PSTG has a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting WDC is currently a more attractive investment option [24]

RT Colby Serpa (@colbyserpa)Nostr and BitTorrent are less vulnerable to arbitrary data storage attacks when compared with today's blockchains because data can be selectively deleted from those nodes, or stored temporarily, whereas a blockchain can only be verified if *all* of the blocks are downloaded by a given full-node. Unfortunately, all that data is stored permanently by each full-node. Finding a way to achieve verifiability without keeping the raw data is the ultimate challenge for this generation. ...

In the past, customers uh always separated metadata from data in a lot of their workflows because traditional storage systems were not capable for handling both things at the same time. Uh going forward with AI, we see a lot of customers struggling with that because they have to scale these things independently. Infinia is a new technology that allows you to run your data any metadata colloccated in the same system and it gives you different types of access to the same data through standard protocols as wel ...

And I actually think Michael Bur's got this wrong. And so what Michael Bur is saying is that all of these hyperscalers have extended their depreciation schedule or the useful life of their data centers by roughly 2x which cuts the operating costs in half when they report it in earnings and so it's making their earnings inflate. So he's claiming they're cooking the books.Google first made this change in Q1 of 21 where they said the servers are now going from 3 to four years. The chart shows the combination o ...

Core Insights - The article discusses the recovery of actively managed equity funds in 2023, highlighting the turnaround of previously underperforming funds known as "four毛基" and "five毛基" [1][2]. Group 1: Fund Performance - Several funds, including Hengyue Advantage Selection and Huatai Bairui Quality Selection, have successfully increased their net asset values (NAV) from below 0.6 yuan to above 1 yuan due to strong performance in 2023 [3]. - Hengyue Advantage Selection achieved the highest increase, with a year-to-date growth of 146.87%, rising from 0.60 yuan to 1.47 yuan [3]. - The funds that performed well were heavily invested in sectors like artificial intelligence and storage chips, which saw significant demand growth [3][5]. Group 2: Investment Strategies - Some funds maintained their positions in sectors like optical modules and computing power, benefiting from the market recovery [2][5]. - Other funds, such as Fangzheng Fubon Xinhong, changed their investment strategies, shifting focus to humanoid robotics, which led to substantial NAV increases [5]. - The article notes that funds that were initially launched during high market periods (2020-2021) faced challenges but adapted their strategies to capitalize on emerging trends [4][6]. Group 3: Redemption Trends - Despite the recovery in NAV, many funds did not see a corresponding increase in share volume, as investors often chose to redeem their shares once they broke even [2][6]. - Historical data indicates that the probability of redemption is highest when funds return to their original investment levels, leading to significant outflows from several funds [6]. - In the third quarter, there was a net redemption of 220 billion shares from equity funds, marking the largest single-quarter redemption in recent years [6]. Group 4: Ongoing Challenges - Not all funds that were previously underperforming managed to rebound, with some still trading below 0.5 yuan [7]. - Certain sectors, such as consumer and military industries, did not perform well even in a rising market, leading to continued underperformance for funds heavily invested in these areas [7].

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Seagate reported revenue of $2.63 billion for the September quarter, representing an 8% sequential increase and a 21% year-over-year growth [13] - Non-GAAP gross margins reached a record 40.1%, up 220 basis points sequentially [13] - Non-GAAP operating margin expanded by 280 basis points to 29% sequentially, with non-GAAP EPS at $2.61, exceeding the high end of guidance [5][13] - Free cash flow generation was flat quarter-over-quarter at $427 million, with a projected increase in the December quarter [19] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Data center revenue accounted for 80% of total revenue at $2.1 billion, up 13% sequentially and 34% year-over-year [15] - The company shipped 182 exabytes in the September quarter, a 32% increase year-over-year, with the majority delivered to global data center customers [14] - Edge IoT revenue made up the remaining 20% of revenue at $515 million, with expectations for seasonal improvement in the December quarter [17] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Demand from global cloud service providers (CSPs) continued to grow, with cloud exabyte demand increasing for the ninth consecutive quarter [16] - The average nearline drive capacity increased by 26% over the past year, contributing to exabyte volume growth [16] - The company noted a significant increase in unstructured data generation, particularly from video content, driving demand for hard drives [7][8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - Seagate is focused on executing its HAMR-based product roadmap to support growing exabyte needs and transitioning customers to higher-capacity drives [6][11] - The company aims to leverage its manufacturing expertise and advancements in technology to achieve a competitive advantage in aerial density [10] - Seagate is committed to returning at least 75% of free cash flow to shareholders over time, with a recent increase in quarterly dividends by approximately 3% [19] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the sustainability of cash flow generation and the ongoing demand environment for high-capacity hard drives [5][11] - The company anticipates continued strong demand from global cloud data centers, projecting December quarter revenue in the range of $2.7 billion, representing a 16% year-over-year improvement [22] - Management highlighted the transformative impact of AI on hard drive demand, particularly in relation to data storage needs [6][7] Other Important Information - Seagate's cash and cash equivalents increased by 25% sequentially to $2.4 billion, with a net leverage ratio of 1.5 times based on adjusted EBITDA [20] - The company shipped over 1 million Mosaic drives in the September quarter, with plans to qualify additional global CSPs for higher-capacity products [9][10] Q&A Session Summary Question: Plans to add capacity and supply chain bottlenecks - Management indicated that capacity addition is through product transitions rather than unit capacity increases, focusing on exabyte capacity [27][28] Question: Adoption of HAMR technology - Management noted that customer engagement on long-term agreements is driven by visibility into higher capacity points, with ongoing qualification of customers on HAMR drives [30] Question: Sustainability of incremental margins - Management acknowledged that while current margins are higher due to product mix, variability exists from quarter to quarter based on customer negotiations and product transitions [34] Question: Cost reduction expectations - Management stated that improvements in cost per terabyte are expected from the transition to higher capacity drives, with ongoing qualification of 40-terabyte drives [40] Question: Visibility of inference demand - Management expressed confidence in the growth of inference demand driven by video content generation, with expectations for lower seasonality impact on data center revenue [45][47] Question: Pricing strategy in a constrained environment - Management confirmed that pricing strategy remains consistent, with slight increases for higher capacity products while maintaining profitability [52] Question: Managing supply for cloud versus consumer markets - Management indicated that while there is some seasonality in edge IoT markets, demand for cloud remains strong, and supply is being prioritized accordingly [58][60] Question: Future exabyte demand and supply - Management expects significant increases in exabyte supply as the company transitions to higher capacity products, with ongoing collaboration with major hyperscalers [82]

Bitcoin Legal & Technical Risks - Bitcoin community members acknowledge potential problems with allowing more non-financial data on-chain, specifically regarding Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) [1] - Legal experts suggest that even a technically inaccurate narrative about Bitcoin broadening the scope for illicit data storage could increase legal pressure and provide ammunition to critics [1] - Concerns exist that Bitcoin developers or node operators could face legal challenges related to aiding/abetting illicit data storage, similar to Napster's legal issues [1] - The original argument that Bitcoin doesn't allow large amounts of arbitrary data, which previously mitigated legal concerns, may no longer be valid [1] Bitcoin Protocol Nuances - The discussion highlights nuanced differences between Bitcoin versions (v30 vs v29/knots) regarding data storage capabilities [1] - Some argue that the risks associated with increased data storage on the Bitcoin blockchain are being downplayed [2]

Funding - Tigris has raised $25 million to expand its network [1] Technology & Infrastructure - Tigris is building a localized data storage centers network for decentralized computing infrastructure [1]

Summary of the HDD Industry Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call focuses on the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) industry, particularly the companies Western Digital (WDC) and Seagate Technology (STX) [2][19][42]. Key Insights and Arguments - **Stronger Demand for HDDs**: There is a significant increase in demand for HDDs driven by cloud infrastructure spending, projected to reach $3 trillion through 2028, and the rise of AI technologies, which require substantial data storage [8][19][44]. - **Supply/Demand Imbalance**: The HDD market is currently undersupplied by approximately 10%, leading to price increases and extended visibility into the market until the first half of 2027 [8][11][67]. - **Long-Term Growth Projections**: The HDD cycle is expected to extend until at least calendar year 2028, with projected annual exabyte (EB) growth in the mid-20% range and operating margins exceeding 30% by 2026 [9][19][24]. - **Earnings Growth**: Both WDC and STX are projected to achieve over 35% compound EPS growth through fiscal year 2028, significantly higher than previous estimates and consensus expectations [9][19][24]. Financial Projections - **Revised Price Targets**: - WDC's price target raised from $99 to $171, indicating a 60% upside potential. - STX's price target increased from $168 to $265, representing a 22% upside [10][20]. - **Valuation Metrics**: The report suggests that both companies are trading at a significant discount compared to their growth and margin profiles, with a potential re-rating expected as the market recognizes the structural changes in the HDD industry [29][30]. Risks and Considerations - **Market Risks**: Potential risks include a downturn in cloud capital expenditures, competition from NAND flash technologies, and macroeconomic slowdowns that could impact HDD demand [17][41]. - **Cyclical Nature of HDDs**: Despite the current positive outlook, the cyclical nature of the HDD market remains a concern, with historical downturns leading to significant share price declines [41]. Additional Insights - **AI Workloads**: The emergence of AI workloads is creating new demand for HDDs, as these workloads are data-intensive and require substantial storage capacity [61][64]. - **Cloud Capex Trends**: Major cloud providers are increasing their capital expenditures, which correlates strongly with HDD demand, further supporting the bullish outlook for the industry [44][53][54]. - **Pricing Power**: The current supply constraints are allowing WDC and STX to raise prices, with recent reports indicating price hikes of 7-10% [68][69]. Conclusion - The HDD industry is experiencing a robust demand environment, driven by cloud and AI trends, with significant growth potential for WDC and STX. The current supply-demand dynamics are favorable, leading to upward pressure on pricing and margins, while the market remains cautious about potential cyclical risks.

Core Viewpoint - Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is experiencing significant stock price appreciation following strong quarterly results and is expected to continue delivering impressive revenue growth in the coming years [1][3]. Group 1: Financial Performance and Projections - Analysts project Oracle's revenue and EPS for FY28 to increase by 25% to 30%, with overall revenue growth approaching 50% in the next few years [2]. - The company's booked revenue is anticipated to exceed $0.5 trillion, indicating robust demand for its services [3]. Group 2: Competitive Advantages - Oracle maintains a strong market position in enterprise databases and ERP software, catering to large clients such as banks and hospitals [3]. - The company differentiates itself by offering cost-effective cloud services while integrating SaaS, ERP, and HCM, which creates high switching costs for clients [3]. - Oracle's competitive advantages include a large and experienced direct sales force, a founder-driven management team focused on maintaining a leading intellectual property portfolio, and high client retention rates in the mid-90% range [4][5]. Group 3: Future Outlook - There are expectations for additional contracts and bookings in the upcoming months, with an AI world conference scheduled next month in Las Vegas, where further positive developments are anticipated [2]. - The stock is currently trading at a mid-30s earnings multiple for FY28, comparable to Microsoft, suggesting it is not overly expensive despite recent gains [2].