"While headlines fixate on artificial intelligence (AI) leaders such as Nvidia ( NASDAQ:NVDA ) and Palantir Technologies ( NASDAQ:PLTR ), much of the index's surge is owed to an unexpected duo: storage-focused chipmakers. The top two performers this year are semiconductor stocks, but not the usual suspects powering AI accelerators. Instead, demand for massive data storage in cloud and AI infrastructure has propelled these underdogs."
"Sandisk has redefined 2025's chip narrative, surging 534% year-to-date since its February spinoff from Western Digital. This flash memory specialist, once overshadowed in the broader storage conglomerate, now stands alone as a pure-play NAND supplier, capitalizing on acute shortages in high-capacity chips essential for AI data centers. The breakout began with the split, allowing Sandisk to focus on flash production without the distractions of HDDs."
The S&P 500 climbed 17% in 2025 amid robust growth and steady corporate earnings, with storage-focused chipmakers emerging as unexpected leaders. Sandisk soared 534% year-to-date after its February spinoff from Western Digital, becoming a pure-play NAND supplier. Fiscal 2025 revenue for Sandisk rose 10% to $7.36 billion as AI hyperscalers ramped exabyte-scale storage. NAND prices increased roughly 50% amid supply constraints, lifting margins to about 35%, above the industry average. Western Digital and Seagate also ranked among the S&P's best performers, driven by massive demand for persistent, high-density flash storage in cloud and AI infrastructure.
Read at 24/7 Wall St.
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