Market Overview - The S&P 500 experienced its sixth consecutive day of gains, with no negative impact from economic data or earnings reports [1] - The Dow increased by 300 points (+0.75%), the S&P 500 rose by 32 points (+0.58%), and the Nasdaq grew by 95 points (+0.55%) [2] - Bond yields decreased, with the 10-year yield at 4.17% and the 2-year yield at 3.65% [2] Housing Market - The Case Shiller Home Price Index for February showed a headline increase of +3.9%, which is 20 basis points lower than the previous month [3] - The 10-City survey reported a +5.2% increase, down from +5.7%, while the 20-City index showed a +4.5% increase, down from +4.7% [3] - Notable cities for rising home prices included New York City (+7.7%), Chicago (+7.0%), and Cleveland (+6.6%) [3] Labor Market - The JOLTS report for March indicated job openings at 7.19 million, below the expected 7.5 million, with the previous month revised down to 7.5 million [5] - Job quits remained stable at 3.3 million, with a quits rate of +2.1% [6] - Layoffs in the retail sector decreased by 66,000, and federal government layoffs fell by 11,000 [6] Consumer Confidence - The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for April dropped to 86.0, below the expected 87.3 and down 7.9 points from the previous month [7] - The Expectations Index fell to 54.4, a decrease of -12.5 month over month, marking the lowest level since October 2011 [8] - 32.1% of consumers expect fewer jobs in the next six months, the highest rate since April 2009 [8] Company Earnings - Visa reported fiscal Q2 earnings of $2.76 per share, exceeding expectations of $2.68 and the previous year's $2.51, with revenues of $9.59 billion slightly above the anticipated $9.56 billion [10] - Starbucks missed both earnings and revenue expectations for fiscal Q2, reporting earnings of 41 cents per share and revenues of $8.76 billion, below the expected $8.79 billion [12] - Booking Holdings posted strong Q1 results with earnings of $24.81 per share and revenues of $4.76 billion, surpassing expectations [13] - Seagate Technologies exceeded estimates with fiscal Q3 earnings of $1.90 per share and revenues of $2.16 billion, raising guidance for the next quarter to $2.40 per share [14]

Core Viewpoint - Rosenblatt analyst Kevin Cassidy has relaunched coverage on Western Digital (WDC) with a Buy rating and lowered the price target from $76 to $50, reflecting a valuation based on expected profitable growth in the HDD market [1] Group 1: Market Dynamics - HDDs are expected to remain the dominant storage media, accounting for over 80% of cloud storage, with exabyte shipments projected to grow at a 23% CAGR from 2024 to 2028 [2] - AI-driven storage demand is accelerating, contributing an estimated 8% growth to the HDD market by 2028, with Nearline HDD growth forecasted at 14% CAGR when including AI [2][3] Group 2: Financial Performance - Western Digital anticipates fiscal 2025 revenue for HDDs to be approximately $2.2 billion to $2.3 billion, with a sequential gross margin expansion of 50 basis points [5] - The company expects to generate $600 million from the SanDisk spin-off and aims for adjusted gross margins of 38% or higher and operating margins of 24% or higher in the long term [6] Group 3: Strategic Focus - Western Digital is shifting its focus to cloud storage, projected to contribute 88% of revenue by fiscal 2025, with Nearline HDDs being the primary revenue driver [3][4] - The company is transitioning to higher-capacity HDDs (40TB+) with EAMR and HAMR technologies to maintain cost-competitive leadership in the AI-driven era [8][10] Group 4: Cost Competitiveness - HDDs maintain a six times cost advantage over enterprise SSDs and a 3.6 times TCO advantage, with plans to transition to HAMR technology by 2027 [4][9] - HDD manufacturing has a capital intensity of just 5%, significantly lower than NAND's 44%, and has lower emissions intensity per TB [9] Group 5: Shareholder Returns - Western Digital is initiating a dividend in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 and is committed to returning 100% of excess cash to shareholders after achieving a net leverage target of 1.0 to 1.5 times EBITDA [7]

Core Viewpoint - Seagate Technology Holdings plc is set to report its third-quarter fiscal 2025 earnings, with expectations of revenue growth driven by mass capacity demand, particularly from cloud customers and AI applications [1][2][3]. Financial Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is $1.75 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, compared to non-GAAP earnings of 33 cents per share in the same quarter last year [1]. - Management anticipates revenues of approximately $2.1 billion, with non-GAAP earnings expected to be $1.70 per share [2]. - Revenue estimates for the HDD segment are projected at $1.989 billion, reflecting a 34.7% increase year-over-year, while non-HDD segment revenues are expected to decline by 15.6% to $150.2 million [8]. Market Dynamics - Seagate expects continued improvements in mass capacity due to rising nearline demand from global cloud customers and enhancements in enterprise and OEM markets [2]. - The company has increased production of its 24-28 terabyte PMR drives, which are now its top-selling product line [4]. - The demand for HDDs is anticipated to rise as cloud service providers focus on AI application development and infrastructure [3]. Revenue and Margin Expectations - Mass capacity revenues are expected to increase by 50.1% year-over-year to $1.77 billion in the fiscal third quarter [7]. - Non-GAAP gross margin is projected to be 35.8%, up from 26.1% in the prior-year quarter, benefiting from strong demand for new nearline products and pricing actions [9]. Supply Chain and Operational Challenges - Supply chain issues are expected to impact revenues by approximately $200 million, although the company plans to meet build-to-order commitments [2]. - Non-GAAP operating expenses for the fiscal third quarter are estimated at $290 million [9]. Earnings Prediction - Current models do not predict an earnings beat for Seagate, with an Earnings ESP of -1.28% and a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell) [10].

Core Insights - Varonis Systems, Inc. has announced a partnership with Pure Storage to enhance data security and cyber resilience for customers [1][2] - The collaboration allows Varonis to integrate its AI-powered data security platform with Pure Storage's advanced data storage solutions, enabling proactive data protection and rapid recovery from cyber incidents [2][6] Company Overview - Varonis is recognized as a leader in data security, focusing on discovering and classifying critical data, removing exposures, and detecting advanced threats using AI automation [3][4] - Pure Storage is a leading provider of advanced data storage solutions, known for its simplicity and flexibility, and has been recognized as a leader in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Primary Storage Platforms [2][5] Partnership Benefits - The partnership aims to empower organizations to secure sensitive data, detect threats, and recover quickly from cyber incidents, addressing the rising risks of ransomware [2][6] - Varonis' platform will enable Pure Storage customers to automate security outcomes such as data classification, access governance, and threat detection [4][6] Technology Integration - Varonis will scan data in Pure Storage systems in real-time, matching classification results with identities and permissions to identify and mitigate data exposure risks [6] - The integration includes features like mapping complex permissions, right-sizing access, and using AI to analyze user behavior for threat detection [6]

Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form S-1 REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 Sandisk Corporation (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2025 Registration No. 333- Milpitas, California 95035 (408) 801-1000 (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of registrant's principal executive offices) Bernard Shek Senior Vice Pres ...

As a value investor concentrating on companies with long-term growth potential at a reasonable price, I prioritize those undergoing strategic changes. These changes initiate a corrective force that returns the stock to its intrinsic value. My approach centers on analyzing company strategies and competitive advantages and how they will affect its future prospects. I believe that companies undergoing these strategic changes present investors with the highest return possible due to the many misconceptions and ...

Core Viewpoint - The HDD glass substrate industry is facing challenges due to the rapid growth of SSDs, leading to a shrinking market for HDD glass substrates, which is projected to decline from $8.87 billion in 2024 to $5.53 billion by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -5.70% from 2025 to 2031 [13]. Industry Status - The production of HDD glass substrates is highly concentrated, with Hoya being the sole manufacturer, operating three production bases in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos) [2]. - The HDD industry is mature but is experiencing a decline in demand due to competition from SSDs, particularly in consumer applications like laptops, while still maintaining strong demand in data centers and enterprise storage [3]. Technological Advancements - Continuous improvements in glass substrate manufacturing technology, especially in surface treatment and smoothness, are enabling higher density storage solutions [4]. - New technologies such as MRAM (Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory) and HAMR (Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording) are being developed to support advanced storage media and heads [4][5]. Market Trends - The demand for higher density storage is driving the development of glass substrates, particularly with the support of HAMR and MAMR (Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording) technologies [5]. - The HDD market is expected to maintain stable demand in the medium to long term, especially in cloud services and data centers that require large-capacity, low-cost storage solutions [8][19]. Competitive Landscape - The rise of SSDs is intensifying competition, prompting HDD manufacturers to innovate with new technologies and materials to enhance market competitiveness [6]. - The production process for HDDs is moving towards greater automation and intelligence, utilizing AI and big data analytics to optimize production efficiency and yield [7]. Application Segmentation - Data centers are the primary application for HDD glass substrates, projected to account for 60.30% of global market revenue in 2024 [19]. - While HDDs remain relevant in enterprise storage, they are gradually being replaced by SSDs in consumer electronics due to advantages in speed, shock resistance, and power efficiency [9].

Core Viewpoint - Pure Storage (PSTG) shares have declined approximately 9% since the last earnings report, underperforming the S&P 500, raising questions about the potential for a breakout or continued negative trend leading up to the next earnings release [1] Estimates Movement - Estimates for Pure Storage have trended downward over the past month, with the consensus estimate shifting by -300% due to these changes [2] VGM Scores - Pure Storage currently holds an average Growth Score of C, but significantly lags in Momentum Score with an F. The stock also received an F grade on the value side, placing it in the bottom 20% quintile for this investment strategy. Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F, which is critical for investors not focused on a single strategy [3] Outlook - The downward trend in estimates indicates a broader negative shift for Pure Storage. The company holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting an expectation of in-line returns from the stock in the upcoming months [4]

Core Insights - Pure Storage integrates NVIDIA AI Data Platform into its FlashBlade platform, enhancing enterprise-grade scalable, AI-ready solutions for customers [1][2][5] - FlashBlade supports NVIDIA's reference design for intelligent AI Data Platforms, enabling rapid data processing for AI reasoning applications [2][4] - Recent certifications for FlashBlade//S500 and FlashBlade//EXA affirm its high-performance storage capabilities for AI infrastructure [3][5] Industry Impact - The growth of large-scale AI and machine learning workloads has increased demand for high-performance storage systems to support GPU cloud providers [4] - Traditional storage solutions often create bottlenecks in data access, impacting the efficiency of GPU workloads and complicating management in multi-tenant environments [4][6] - Pure Storage's solutions eliminate these bottlenecks, ensuring high-level read/write performance and simplifying management for enterprise AI projects [6][7] Customer Benefits - Organizations can deploy storage solutions that enhance GPU workload efficiency and provide real ROI by integrating with NVIDIA accelerated computing [6] - The integration of NVIDIA AI Data Platform capabilities into FlashBlade allows enterprises to achieve near-real-time data processing for improved customer service and operational efficiency [8] - Collaborations with partners like Cisco aim to streamline AI workloads and unlock the full potential of data through advanced storage solutions [9]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q3 FY 2025, revenue was $1.64 billion, reflecting a 2% year-over-year growth, although it was $44 million below the midpoint of guidance [31] - Billings increased to $1.71 billion, also up 2% year-over-year, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of growth [31] - Operating margin was reported at 30%, exceeding expectations, while EPS was $1.91, in line with guidance [36][37] - Operating cash flow decreased to $385 million from $484 million a year ago, and free cash flow was $338 million compared to $448 million [37] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Hybrid cloud revenue grew by 1% year-over-year, while the all-flash array business saw a 10% increase, reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $3.8 billion [10] - Keystone, the Storage as a Service offering, experienced nearly 60% year-over-year revenue growth [10] - Support revenue declined by 2% year-over-year to $621 million, but was flat in constant currency [32] - Professional services revenue grew by 14% year-over-year, driven mainly by Keystone [32] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Public cloud revenue reached $174 million, up 15% year-over-year, driven by hyperscaler first-party and marketplace storage services [32] - Excluding Spot by NetApp, public cloud revenues grew by 21% year-over-year, indicating a healthy demand environment [33] - The company reported deferred revenue of $4.1 billion, flat year-over-year, with remaining performance obligations at $4.5 billion [33] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on enhancing execution and improving sales momentum, particularly in AI and data-driven workloads [8][24] - New product introductions, including entry-level and mid-range systems, aim to simplify customer scaling and reduce storage costs [12] - The divestiture of Spot by NetApp is part of a strategy to sharpen focus on core public cloud offerings [18][29] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged inconsistent execution in Q3, leading to some deals slipping into Q4, but expressed confidence in improved sales execution moving forward [8][24] - The company expects a slight decrease in FY 2025 guidance due to the divestiture of Spot, foreign exchange impacts, and near-term headwinds in the public sector [25][41] - Management remains optimistic about achieving long-term financial goals set during the Investor Day [24][148] Other Important Information - The company returned over $300 million to stockholders through dividends and share repurchases, reducing the diluted share count by 3 million shares year-over-year [30] - The balance sheet remains healthy, with approximately $2.3 billion in cash and short-term investments against $2 billion in debt [40] Q&A Session Summary Question: Sales execution issues and rectification efforts - Management noted a strong pipeline but acknowledged that several large deals slipped due to procurement delays, implementing tighter controls on deal progression [51][53] Question: Public sector performance and caution - Management observed caution in European markets and some caution in the US public sector, but overall performance was in line with expectations [57][58] Question: Competitive landscape and QLC mix - Management reported no significant changes in the competitive landscape and highlighted strong traction in refreshed product lines [62] Question: Product gross margins outlook - Management expects product gross margins to stabilize around 56% in Q4, with potential increases as new products gain traction [66][73] Question: AI enterprise cycle and revenue growth - Management indicated that AI projects are in early stages, with broader enterprise adoption expected in 2025 or 2026 [135][136] Question: Customer behavior towards as-a-service models - Management noted increased customer interest in as-a-service models, particularly for flexible infrastructure solutions [140] Question: Long-term growth targets - Management reaffirmed confidence in long-term growth targets set during the Investor Day, with no changes expected due to recent performance [148]