Fuelled by strong AI storage demand, rising memory costs, and advanced NAND and DRAM technology, SanDisk’s stock has climbed nearly 48% this year, establishing it as a top market performer.
SanDisk has recorded a remarkable 48% rise in its stock so far in 2026, making it one of the top-performing companies on the S&P 500 Index. The solid-state drive (SSD) manufacturer now holds a market capitalization of around $40 billion, following its spin-off from Western Digital, which acquired it for $16 billion in 2016. SanDisk debuted as an independent company in February 2025 with a market value of $5.6 billion, reflecting a 65% discount compared to the original acquisition price.
The surge in stock value is largely fuelled by the rising adoption of AI inferencing and edge AI technologies. Companies leveraging AI require extensive storage to handle large datasets for model training, analytics, and regulatory compliance, creating a strong demand for SanDisk’s products.
Technological edge and industry dynamics
SanDisk maintains a competitive advantage through its High Bandwidth Flash technology and BiCS8 3D NAND, offering a “memory-centric” design that consumes less power while providing higher storage capacity at lower costs. Rising memory prices and a global storage shortage, highlighted by reports of NAND wafer prices jumping 60% in November alone, have further bolstered the company’s performance. TrendForce projects that memory demand will grow 20–22% in 2026, exceeding supply growth of 15–17%.
Industry leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have emphasized the booming AI storage market. Following his CES 2026 remarks on January 6, SanDisk shares jumped 28% in a single day, trading at $349 per share—an 870% increase from last year’s initial price of $36.
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