Western Digital Corp: Form 10-K for the period ended Jul 3, 2026

General

Western Digital was founded in 1970 and is a Standard & Poor’s 500 (“S&P 500”) company headquartered in San Jose, California. We are a leading developer, manufacturer, and provider of data storage devices and solutions based on hard disk drive (“HDD”) technology. HDDs are critical components in the worldwide data infrastructure market, powering the AI-driven digital economy. HDDs provide reliable, cost-effective, high-capacity storage needs for a wide range of applications, ranging from cloud data centers, enterprise storage systems, edge computing, and smart video to client and consumer devices.

At Western Digital, we believe that data storage provides the strategic foundation for the AI-driven data economy. We focus on designing and building data storage solutions that are intelligent, efficient, and reliable. We execute on this mission through rigorous scientific research, engineering excellence, and deep customer collaboration, so that each product advancement provides value for our customers and shareholders.

With much of the world’s data stored on Western Digital products, our innovation helps drive the global storage technology ecosystem, anchored in the cloud, and extending from consumer devices to the edge.

Our broad portfolio of technology and products, sold under the Western Digital® and WD® brands, addresses our customers’ storage needs through multiple end markets: “Cloud,” “Client” and “Consumer”.

Cloud. Cloud represents our largest and fastest growing end market comprised primarily of products for public or private cloud environments and enterprise customers. We enable cloud, Internet and social media infrastructure players to build more powerful, cost-effective and efficient data centers. We provide the Cloud end market with an array of high-capacity enterprise HDDs. Our high-capacity enterprise HDDs address growing storage demands with high reliability, easy scalability, and lower time to value for our customers — all while delivering a low total cost of ownership for cloud data center and smart video system markets. These drives are primarily for use in data storage systems, in tiered storage models and where data must be stored reliably for years.

Client. Through the Client end market, we provide our original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) and channel customers a broad array of high-performance HDD solutions across desktop and notebooks. Our products are designed for use in devices requiring high performance, reliability and capacity with various attributes such as low cost per gigabyte, quiet acoustics, and low power consumption.

Consumer. We have also built strong consumer brand recognition with tools to help individuals manage vast libraries of personal content and to push the limits of what is possible for storage. We serve the Consumer end market with a portfolio of HDD external storage products that we offer globally through our retail and channel partners.

Industry

We operate in the data storage industry. The ability to access, store and share data from anywhere on any device is increasingly important to our customers and end users. From the intelligent edge to the cloud, data storage is not just foundational to AI, but also a fundamental component underpinning global technology architecture. Our strengths in innovation, areal density and cost leadership provide a foundation upon which we are solidifying our position as an essential building block of the AI-driven data economy. We believe there is tremendous market opportunity created by the rapid global adoption of technology built with cloud infrastructure, connected intelligent devices, and high-performance networks.

The increase in computing complexity and advancements in AI, along with growth in cloud computing applications, connected mobile devices and Internet-connected products and edge devices is driving rapid growth in the volume of digital content to be stored and used. While this growth has led to the creation of several form factors for data storage and an increasing use of a tiered architecture approach, HDDs occupy a unique place in the market by providing an economical means to create, store and utilize an increasing amount of data in the age of AI. We believe HDDs provide a sustainable total cost of ownership advantage to our cloud customers to meet their storage needs.

Research and Technology

The strong growth in the amount, value and use of data continues to create a global need for larger, faster and more capable storage solutions. We have extensive customer, partner and channel relationships across our end markets and geographies and a rich heritage of innovation and operational excellence. We have a wide range of intellectual property (“IP”) assets, including patent portfolios containing approximately 4,700 active patents, covering groundbreaking data storage technologies, magnetic recording and other technology building blocks. We have broad research and development (“R&D”) capabilities and devote substantial resources to the development of new products and the improvement of existing products. We focus our engineering efforts on optimizing our product design and manufacturing processes to bring our products to market in a cost-effective and timely manner. We continue to transform ourselves to address the growth in data by providing what we believe to be the broadest range of storage technologies in the industry with a comprehensive product portfolio and global reach. For a discussion of associated risks, see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

HDD products provide non-volatile data storage by recording magnetic information on rotating disks. We design and manufacture substantially all of the recording head and magnetic media in our HDD products, positioning us as an industry leader in innovations that drive higher areal density and superior performance. Our improvements in HDD capacity, which lower product costs over time, have been enabled largely through advancements in magnetic recording head and media technologies. Our multi-year product roadmap for high-capacity HDDs, which include ePMR, OptiNAND, UltraSMR, heat-assisted magnetic recording (“HAMR”) and triple stage actuators to deliver a cutting-edge portfolio of drives, in commercial volumes, at a wide variety of capacity points, puts Western Digital in a strong position to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the large and growing storage markets. We invest considerable resources in R&D, manufacturing infrastructure and capital equipment for recording head and media technology, as well as other aspects of the magnetic recording system such as HDD mechanics, controller and firmware technology, in order to secure our competitive position and cost structure. Our products generally leverage a common platform for various products within product families, and in some cases across product families, resulting in the commonality of components which reduces our exposure to changes in demand, facilitates inventory management and allows us to achieve lower costs through purchasing economies. This platform strategy also enables our customers to leverage their qualification efforts onto successive product models.

Competition

We believe we are well-positioned in a competitive industry with our leading product portfolio, differentiated innovation engine, global manufacturing footprint, and leadership in driving areal density and cost efficiency. Nevertheless, we face strong competition from several manufacturers of storage products and storage systems and solutions, whether directly or indirectly. Our competitors include HDD competitors such as Seagate Technology Holdings plc, and Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation along with NAND flash suppliers that provide and enable alternative storage technologies, as well as storage systems and solutions providers.

Business Strategy

Our vision is to unleash the power and value of data. Our mission is to be the market leader in data storage by delivering storage solutions for now and the future. By understanding our customers’ needs, together we can help them unlock the value and power of data that we are starting to see come to the fore, especially in this age of AI.

Our overall strategy focuses on leadership, innovation and execution, based on our core capabilities grounded in magnetics and photonics expertise and our strength in nano-feature fabrication. Our goal is to further WD as an industry-leading and broad-based developer, manufacturer and provider of advanced technology storage devices and solutions that support and enable the proliferation of data. We believe this positions us well for emerging opportunities in adjacent and new technology markets. Our strategy reflects the following foundational elements: (1) Enhanced customer focus for driving greater customer advocacy and deeper customer engagement across our current and future addressable markets, (2) Product and technology leadership for realizing the best total cost of ownership through disciplined product management and for enabling innovation in new product categories, (3) Rigorous financial discipline by having a clear capital allocation strategy, ambitious financial targets and prudent capital investment, (4) Operational excellence for driving best-in-class cost to achieve industry-leading margin profiles with strong execution, (5) Innovation and growth for creating new products and applications and identifying new market opportunities, and (6) High performance teams with the skill sets to meet go-forward business needs.

Patents, Licenses and Proprietary Information

We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secret laws, confidentiality procedures and licensing arrangements to protect our IP rights.

We have approximately 4,700 active patents worldwide and have many patent applications in process. We continually seek additional United States (“U.S.”) and international patents on our technology. We believe that, although our active patents and patent applications have considerable value, the successful manufacturing and marketing of our products also depends upon the technical and managerial competence of our staff. Accordingly, the patents held and applied for cannot alone ensure our future success.

In addition to patent protection of certain IP rights, we consider elements of our product designs and processes to be proprietary and confidential. We believe that our non-patented IP, particularly some of our process technology, is an important factor in our success. We rely upon non-disclosure agreements, contractual provisions and a system of internal safeguards to protect our proprietary information. Despite these safeguards, there is a risk that competitors may obtain and use such information. The laws of foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct business may provide less protection for confidential information than the laws of the U.S.

We rely on certain technology that we license from other parties to manufacture and sell our products. We believe that we have adequate cross-licenses and other agreements in place in addition to our own IP portfolio to compete successfully in the storage industry. For a discussion of associated risks, see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.

Manufacturing and Suppliers

We believe that we have significant know-how, unique product manufacturing processes, test and tooling, execution skills, human resources and training to continue to be successful and to adjust our manufacturing operations as necessary. We strive to maintain manufacturing flexibility, achieve high manufacturing yields, and produce reliable products and high-quality components. The critical elements of our production are high volume and utilization, low-cost assembly and testing, strict adherence to quality metrics and maintaining close relationships with our strategic component suppliers to access best-in-class technology and manufacturing capacity. We continually monitor our manufacturing capabilities to respond to the changing requirements of our customers and maintain our competitiveness and position as a data technology leader.

HDD manufacturing is a complex process involving the production and assembly of precision components with narrow tolerances and rigorous testing. The manufacturing processes involve a number of steps that are dependent on each other and occur in “clean room” environments that demand skill in process engineering and efficient space utilization to control the operating costs of these manufacturing environments. We continually evaluate our manufacturing processes in an effort to increase productivity, sustain and improve quality and decrease manufacturing costs. We continually evaluate which steps in the manufacturing process would benefit from automation and how automated manufacturing processes can improve productivity and reduce manufacturing costs. We also leverage contract manufacturers when strategically advantageous.

HDD consists primarily of recording heads, magnetic media, controllers and firmware and printed circuit board assembly. We design and manufacture substantially all of the recording heads and magnetic media required for our products. As a result, we are more dependent upon our own development and execution efforts for these components and less reliant on recording head and magnetic media technologies developed by other manufacturers. We depend on an external supply base for all remaining components and materials for use in our design, manufacturing and testing. We believe the use of our in-house manufacturing, assembly and test facilities offers the control necessary to provide the demanding capabilities, performance and reliability our customers require.

Our vertically integrated, in-house assembly and test operations are concentrated in Prachinburi and Bang Pa-In, Thailand; Penang, Johor Bahru, and Kuching, Malaysia; Laguna, Philippines; Shenzhen, China; and San Jose and Fremont, California, USA.

We generally retain multiple suppliers for our component requirements, but for business or technology reasons, we source some of our components from a limited number of sole or single source providers. For a discussion of such risks, see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Sales and Distribution

We focus on markets where our storage technologies deliver exceptional scale, efficiency, and economics. By combining HDD innovation with systems, firmware, and software, we enable customers to manage and monetize data at global scale. We sell our products to hyperscale cloud service providers, neoclouds, computer manufacturers and OEMs, resellers, distributors and retailers throughout the world, utilizing long-term agreements with certain customers. Our sales organization blends technical depth with market expertise, enabling effective engagement with customers across diverse use cases. Our sales engagements mostly involve sales, customer technical support engineers, and product engineers, who support pre-sales and post-sales activities, collaborating with customers to design, test, and qualify system solutions built on our technologies.

Our sales and marketing teams are strategically located across the major geographies of the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. Our international sales, which include sales to foreign subsidiaries of U.S. companies but do not include sales to U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies, represented 60%, 55%, and 58% of our net revenue for 2026, 2025, and 2024, respectively. Our sales are subject to certain risks, including exposure to tariffs and various trade regulations. For a discussion of such risks, see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We perform our marketing and advertising functions through a combination of internal teams and outside firms utilizing business and consumer media as well as trade publications to engage our end-user markets. We maintain customer relationships through direct communication and by providing information and support through our digital platforms. In accordance with standard storage industry practice, we offer distributors and retailers limited price protection and programs under which we reimburse certain marketing expenditures. We also offer sales incentive programs to distributors, resellers, and OEMs.

For 2026, three customers accounted for 16%, 15%, and 13%, respectively, of our net revenue. For 2025, three customers accounted for 17%, 12%, and 10%, respectively, of our net revenue. For 2024, no single customer accounted for 10% or more of our net revenue.

Cyclicality and Seasonality

Although much less than in the past, our business is subject to variability of sales because it is largely dependent on the buying patterns of our large Cloud customers, driven by their needs for deploying our technology in their data center buildouts, as well as on their ability to procure other products that go into such buildouts. Our business is also impacted by cyclicality in the industry, as well as macroeconomic factors. For a discussion of associated risks, see Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Service and Warranty

We generally warrant our newly manufactured products against defects in materials and workmanship for up to five years from the date of sale depending on the type of product. Our warranty obligation is generally limited to repair or replacement. We have engaged third parties in various countries in multiple regions to provide various levels of testing, processing or recertification of returned products for our customers. For additional information regarding our service and warranty policy, see Part II, Item 8, Note 1, Organization and Basis of Presentation, and Note 5, Supplemental Financial Statement Data, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Human Capital

Our people strategy supports our vision of unleashing the power and value of data and our mission to be the market leader in data storage, delivering solutions for now and the future. At the end of 2026, we employed approximately 40,000 people worldwide. Our global workforce spans 24 countries with approximately 88% of our employees in Asia Pacific, approximately 11% in the Americas and less than 1% in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Talent Growth and Engagement

We invest in developing our people to lead us into the future, and as AI transforms work, we remain human-first, helping them grow, adapt, and thrive. To help our employees reach their full potential, we aim to cultivate an environment that encourages learning, development and career growth. We are providing training to our employees to help them adopt AI, become future-ready, and improve their productivity. Our performance framework includes setting goals to establish clear expectations and receiving feedback and coaching to achieve them. Our on-demand learning management system offers learning activities to help employees map their career journey, access learning online and track progress against development goals. We also provide upskilling and reskilling opportunities to our factory employees through on-the-job training, technical classes, workshops and partnerships with universities and colleges.

We make it a priority to recruit exceptional talent across the organization. We continue to foster the next generation of talent through our intern and new college graduate recruitment programs, and we converted about 40% of our eligible global intern population to employees in 2025. In 2026, we became an approved employer for the U.S. Department of Defense SkillBridge program, serving as a career pathway for veterans who are transitioning to the civilian workforce.

We believe employee engagement is key to performance and retention and that by listening to our employees we can better understand how we enable them to do their best work. We use a combination of our employee survey and listening sessions at all levels to understand what we are doing well and identify opportunities to strengthen employee engagement in support of our business strategy.

We strive to cultivate an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and appreciated, thereby enabling them to contribute effectively to the organization and excel in their roles. Our initiatives celebrate the varied perspectives, talents, and backgrounds of our workforce and ensure that all voices are heard. Our Driver Resource Groups are employee-led and foster connections based on a shared identity or background and are open to all employees who want to join.

We continued our commitment to conducting business in an ethical way around the world. In 2026, we were named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for the eighth consecutive year. Our employees also regularly participate in philanthropy to support the communities in which they work and live. In 2026, more than half of our employees around the world gave their time to participate in company-sponsored volunteer events.

Total Rewards

We believe that competitive compensation is crucial for retaining and motivating our employees, and we are committed to rewarding performance with competitive compensation consisting of base salary and short-term incentives and, for select roles, long-term incentives. We also offer a global recognition program to celebrate the contributions of employees who bring to life our core values: Customers, Results, Connection, Excellence, and Innovation.

We invest in the physical, mental and financial well-being of our people through dynamic and differentiated benefit programs that align to our culture and values. We provide competitive benefits (which vary by country or region), including health coverage, life and disability insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, employee assistance program, and employee stock purchase plan.

We benchmark our Total Rewards programs annually using market data from reputable third-party consultants. We also conduct internal focus groups and employee surveys to inform programs and identify opportunities. To ensure that our pay practices are fair, we conduct regular pay equity assessments to promote equal pay for equal work, as well as regularly engaging in a living wage analysis.

Health and Safety

We are committed to creating a safe work environment everywhere we operate. We provide extensive health and safety resources and training to all employees, especially those working in our manufacturing facilities, where we use an integrated management system to manage health and safety standards.

Government Regulation

Our worldwide business activities are subject to various laws, rules and regulations of the U.S. as well as of foreign governments. Compliance with existing or future governmental regulations, including, but not limited to, those pertaining to global trade, the environment, consumer and data protection, employee health and safety, and taxes, could have a material impact on our capital expenditures, earnings, competitive position and overall business. See Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of these potential impacts.

Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

At WD, we incorporate sustainability into our business strategy and operations to support long-term value creation. Through environmental stewardship, stakeholder empowerment, and responsible business practices, we drive sustainable data storage technologies that deliver meaningful progress toward a responsible AI infrastructure.

Environmental Stewardship: We help protect the planet and the environment by setting and delivering robust environmental targets and driving innovation, accountability, and partnerships for systemic impact.

• We work to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water withdrawal, and waste to landfills, and innovate to enhance the energy and material efficiency of our products. In 2025, we achieved 66% carbon-free energy to power our global operations as well as reduced emissions by 31% per petabyte from customers’ use of sold products from 2020.
• We periodically assess and disclose climate-related risks and opportunities and implement measures to mitigate relevant risks and enhance climate resiliency.
• We collaborate with customers, suppliers, industry associations, governments, academics, and standards organizations to reduce emissions across our ecosystem, and increase circularity to reduce raw materials extraction, enabled by our Advanced Recovery and Rare Earth Material Capture program.
• In the latest sustainability assessments, we earned a Carbon Disclosure Project A‑ Leadership level rating for climate in 2025 and were included in the 2026 S&P Dow Jones Best‑in‑Class Index North America.

Stakeholder Empowerment: We engage stakeholders across our value chain, including our workforce, customers, suppliers, and communities.

• We support an inclusive workplace by developing team members through a variety of experiences and creating opportunities for connections across the company through our Driver Resource Groups.
• Our corporate philanthropy strategy focuses on hunger relief, environmental stewardship and science, technology, engineering and math (“STEM”) education, and we activate employees to create positive impact on their local communities.
• We implement policies, procedures, and programs designed to uphold human rights and mitigate risks of compulsory and child labor within our operations and supply chain.
• We engage targeted suppliers for most material sustainability issues, including decarbonization, human rights, and responsible minerals.

Responsible Business: We build trust through principled leadership, embedding accountability, integrity, and sustainability into decision-making processes.

• We establish policies and practices to support the responsible, ethical, and secure development, deployment, and usage of AI. As AI becomes a greater part of our daily experience and product offerings, we implemented an AI policy to effectively manage and mitigate AI-related risks.
• We educate our employees annually on relevant ethics and compliance topics, publish guidance on ethical issues in our Global Code of Conduct and support the reporting of concerns through global and local reporting channels.

Available Information

We maintain an Internet website at www.westerndigital.com (http://www.westerndigital.com). The information on our website is not incorporated in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available on our website at www.westerndigital.com (http://www.westerndigital.com), free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after the electronic filing of these reports with, or furnishing of these reports to, the SEC. The SEC maintains a website at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including us.

Our business can be affected by a number of risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause material harm to our actual operating results and financial condition. The risks discussed below are not the only ones facing our business but represent risks that we believe are material to us. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also negatively affect our business.

BUSINESS AND OPERATIONAL RISKS

Loss of revenue from Cloud or other key customers could harm our operating results.

There is significant revenue concentration in our Cloud end market and among our top customers. For the year ended July 3, 2026, the Cloud end market accounted for 89% of our net revenue and our top 10 customers accounted for 73% of our net revenue, with three customers each accounting for 10% or more of our net revenue.

If demand declines for any reason, and/or we fail to respond to changes in demand, in Cloud or other key customers, our business could suffer. The impact of generative AI on the storage and data management markets and regulation thereof is still unfolding and could evolve unpredictably, and it could be difficult to accurately forecast related demands. As it evolves, our hyperscale customers could lower their investment in AI infrastructure. Our ability to maintain strong relationships with our principal customers is essential to our future performance. We have experienced and may in the future experience events such as the loss of a key customer, prohibition or restriction of sales to a key customer by law, regulation or other government action, reductions in sales to or orders by a key customer, customer requirements to reduce our prices before we are able to reduce costs or the acquisition of a key customer by one of our competitors. Further, government authorities may implement laws or regulations or take other actions that could result in significant changes to the business or operating models of our key customers. Any of these events could negatively impact our operating results.

If we do not properly manage technology transitions and product development and introduction, our competitiveness and operating results may be negatively affected.

The markets for our products continuously undergo technology transitions that can impact our product roadmaps and that we must anticipate in order to adapt our existing products or develop new products effectively. If we fail to adapt to or implement new technologies (including the transition to areal density recording technologies that use HAMR technology to increase HDD capacities), if we fail to quickly and cost-effectively develop new products that meet the specifications and requirements intended or desired by our customers or if technology transitions negatively impact our existing product roadmaps, our business may be harmed.

As we compete in new product areas, the overall complexity of our business may increase and may result in increases in R&D expenses and substantial investments in manufacturing capability, technology enhancements and go-to-market capability. Our gross margin could also face pressure if we are unable to achieve the desired manufacturing yields when we ramp our new technologies. Further, technological changes can reduce the volume and profitability of sales of existing products.

We must also qualify our products with customers through potentially lengthy testing processes with uncertain results. The success of our technology transitions and product development depends on a number of other factors, including difficulties faced in manufacturing ramp; market acceptance/qualification; effective management of inventory levels in line with anticipated product demand; the vertical integration of some of our products, which may result in more capital expenditures and greater fixed costs than if we were not vertically integrated; our ability to cost effectively respond to customer requests for new products or features (including requests for more efficient and efficiently-produced products with reduced environmental impacts) and software associated with our products; our ability to increase our software development capability; and the effectiveness of our go-to-market capability in selling new products.

Moving to new technologies and products may require us to align to, and build, a new supply base. Our success in new product areas may depend on our ability to enter into favorable supply agreements. In addition, if our customers choose to delay transition to new technologies, if demand for the products that we develop is lower than we expected or if the supporting technologies to implement these new technologies are not available, we may be unable to achieve the cost structure required to support our profit objectives or may be unable to grow or maintain our market position.

Additionally, new technologies could impact demand for our products in unforeseen or unexpected ways. For example, if a shift away from Cloud and toward on-premises hardware diminishes the need for large-scale data center infrastructure, demand for our storage products could decline, and prior investments we have made in anticipation of storage demand may not generate the returns we expect. Further, new techniques to optimize data storage and usage could have an adverse impact on data growth. Moreover, new products could substitute for our current products and make them obsolete, each of which would harm our business. We also develop products to meet certain industry and technical standards, which may change and cause us to incur substantial costs as we adapt to new standards or invest in different manufacturing processes to remain competitive.

We may also experience changes to our customer base, such as a greater portion of our business shifting to neocloud and other customers. To remain competitive, we must respond to these changes by ensuring we have proper scale in this evolving market, as well as offer products that meet the technological requirements of our customer base at competitive pricing points. To the extent we are not successful in adequately responding to these changes, our operating results and financial condition could be harmed.

Further, some of our competitors offer products that we do not offer, which may allow them to win sales from us. We expect that competition will continue to be intense, and our competitors may be able to gain a product offering or cost structure advantage over us, which would harm our business. We may also have difficulty effectively competing with manufacturers benefiting from governmental investments and may be subject to increased complexity and reduced efficiency in our supply chain as a result of governmental efforts to promote domestic technologies in various jurisdictions.

We are dependent on a limited number of qualified suppliers who provide critical services, materials or components, and a disruption in our supply chain could negatively affect our business.

We depend on an external supply base for technologies, software (including firmware), preamps, controllers, dynamic random-access memory, components, equipment and other materials used in our product design and manufacturing. We also depend on suppliers for a portion of our wafer testing, chip assembly, product assembly and product testing, and on service suppliers for providing technical support for our products. In addition, we use logistics partners to manage our worldwide just-in-time hubs and distribution centers and to meet our freight needs. Many of the components and much of the equipment we acquire must be specifically designed for use in our products or for developing and manufacturing our products and are only available from a limited number of suppliers, some of whom are our sole-source suppliers. We therefore depend on these suppliers to meet our business needs, including dedicating adequate engineering resources to develop components that can be successfully integrated into our products.

Our suppliers have in the past been, and may in the future be, unable or unwilling to meet our requirements, including as a result of events outside of their control such as trade restrictions (including tariffs, quotas and embargoes), geopolitical conflicts, terrorism, public health crises or natural disasters. If we are unable to purchase sufficient quantities from our current suppliers or qualify and engage additional suppliers, or if we cannot purchase materials at a reasonable price, we may not be able to meet the demand for our products. Trade restrictions (including tariffs, quotas and embargoes), demand from other high-volume industries for materials or components used in our products, disruptions in supplier relationships or shortages in other components and materials used in our customers’ products could result in increased costs to us, which could negatively impact our business. Delays, shortages or cost increases experienced by our suppliers in developing or sourcing materials and components for use in our products or incompatibility or quality issues relating to our products could also harm our business.

We do not have long-term contracts with some of our existing suppliers, and we do not always have guaranteed manufacturing capacity with our suppliers, so we cannot guarantee that they will devote sufficient resources or capacity to manufacturing our products. Any significant problems that occur at our suppliers could lead to product shortages or quality assurance problems. When we do have contractual commitments with suppliers in an effort to stabilize the supply of our components, those commitments may require us to buy a substantial number of components or make significant cash advances to the supplier and may not result in a satisfactory supply of our components. We have cancelled or deferred, and may continue to cancel or defer, outstanding purchase commitments with certain suppliers due to changes in actual and forecasted demand, which has resulted, and may continue to result in, fees, penalties and other associated charges. Such cancellations or deferments can also negatively impact our relationships with certain suppliers or lead to a decline in the financial performance of certain suppliers, each of which could result in even more limited availability of components needed for our products.

In addition, our supply base has experienced industry consolidation. Our suppliers may be acquired by our competitors, decide to exit the industry or redirect their investments or increase costs to us. In addition, some of our suppliers have experienced a decline in financial performance, including as a result of cancelled or deferred purchase commitments. Where we rely on a limited number of suppliers or a single supplier, the risk of supplier loss due to industry consolidation or a decline in financial performance is increased. Some of our suppliers may also be competitors in other areas of our business, which could lead to difficulties in price negotiations or meeting our supply requirements.

Long-term agreements expose us to certain execution, financial, and market risks, which could be significant.

We have entered into long-term agreements with certain customers that commit us to deliver and our customers to purchase substantial volumes of products over multi-quarter or multi-year periods. These agreements also generally commit us to sell agreed volumes to these customers at predetermined or formula-based prices for the duration of the contract terms. As a result, we may be obligated to continue selling products to these customers even when demand from other customers, prevailing market prices, or other sales opportunities would be more favorable to us, and we may be unable to take full advantage of periods of rising prices, increased demand, or supply shortages. If market prices for our products increase above the prices set under these agreements, or if higher-margin or otherwise more attractive alternatives become available, our commitments under these agreements could prevent us from realizing the benefit of those conditions, which could result in significant opportunity costs and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

Our ability to fulfill our obligations under these agreements depends on a number of factors, including our manufacturing capacity, production yields, supply chain performance, and the availability of raw materials and other critical inputs. There can be no assurance that we will be able to perform these contractual obligations throughout the contract terms without disruption or shortfall. If we are unable to deliver products in the quantities, at the times, or meeting the specifications required under these agreements, we may be subject to pricing or volume reductions, contractual damages, other financial losses, or early termination. Any failure to perform could harm our customer relationships, damage our reputation, and have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

If a customer were to breach its purchase obligations, including by failing to meet its purchase commitments, or if a customer were to terminate the agreement due to our material breach of supply commitments, we may need to find alternative customers for any affected product volumes. Depending on market conditions at the time, we may be unable to resell those products at comparable prices, or at all, which could result in reduced revenue, lower margins, excess inventory, or manufacturing underutilization or asset impairment charges, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Each agreement provides for certain remedies designed to protect us if the customer fails to perform its purchase obligations. In such event, these contractual remedies are expected to offset at least some portion of revenue that may be lost due to the customer’s failure to perform, but they may not fully offset such lost revenue depending on the reason for such nonperformance, our ability to recover in any action and other factors. Any enforcement of these contractual remedies by us could be costly and time-consuming and could adversely affect our customer relationships. If we are unable or unsuccessful in enforcing or if we choose not to enforce any contractual remedy in the event of a customer’s failure to perform its purchase obligations, we may experience consequences that could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

We are subject to risks related to product defects, which could result in product recalls or epidemic failures and could subject us to warranty, litigation or indemnification claims that exceed our expectations or estimates.

We warrant the majority of our products for periods of one to five years. We test our products in our manufacturing facilities through a variety of means. However, our testing may fail to reveal defects in our products that may not become apparent until after the products have been sold into the market. In addition, our products may be used in a manner that is not intended or anticipated by us, resulting in potential liability. Accordingly, there is a risk that product defects will occur, including as a result of third-party components or applications that we incorporate in our products, which could require a product recall. Product recalls can be expensive to implement. As part of a product recall, we may be required or choose to replace the defective product. Moreover, there is a risk that product defects may trigger an epidemic failure clause in a customer agreement. If an epidemic failure occurs, we may be required to replace or refund the value of the defective product and to cover certain other costs associated with the consequences of the epidemic failure. In addition, product defects, product recalls or epidemic failures may cause damage to our reputation or customer relationships, lost revenue, indemnification costs for a recall of our customers’ products, warranty claims, litigation or loss of market share with our customers, including our OEM and original design manufacturer (“ODM”) customers. Our business liability insurance may be inadequate, or future coverage may be unavailable on acceptable terms, which could negatively impact our operating results and financial condition.

Our standard warranties contain limits on damages and exclusions of liability for consequential damages and for misuse, improper installation, alteration, accident or mishandling while in the possession of someone other than us. We record an accrual for estimated warranty costs at the time revenue is recognized based on certain assumptions. We may incur additional expenses if our warranty provisions do not reflect the actual cost of resolving issues related to defects in our products or if the failure rate is higher than we expected. If these additional expenses are significant, they could harm our business.

The loss of our key management, staff and skilled employees or the inability to hire and develop new employees could negatively impact our business prospects.

Our success depends upon the continued contributions of our talent. Changes in our key management team have resulted in and may in the future result in loss of continuity, loss of accumulated knowledge, departure of other key employees, disruptions to our operations and inefficiency during transitional periods. Global competition for skilled employees in the technology industry is intense, and our business success is increasingly dependent on our ability to attract, develop and retain top talent, implement succession plans for key management and staff and replace aging skilled employees. Changes in immigration laws and regulations, or more robust enforcement of new or existing laws, may impair our ability to recruit and hire technical and professional talent.

Our ability to hire and retain employees also depends on our ability to build and maintain an inclusive workplace culture, provide opportunities for career development and fund competitive compensation and benefits, each of which contribute to being viewed as an employer of choice. Additionally, because a substantial portion of our key employees’ compensation is linked to the performance of our business, we may be at a competitive disadvantage for hiring and retaining talent when our operating results are negatively impacted. If we are unable to hire and retain key talent, our operating results would likely be harmed.

Failure to successfully execute on strategic initiatives including acquisitions, divestitures or cost saving measures may negatively impact our future results.

We have made and expect to continue to make acquisitions and divestitures, such as the separation of our former flash-based products (“Flash”) business in 2025 (the “Separation”), and engage in cost saving measures. In order to successfully execute on strategic initiatives, we must continue to identify and successfully complete attractive transactions, some of which may be large and complex, and manage post-closing issues such as integration of the acquired company or employees, integration of processes and systems, and post-Separation changes. We may not be able to identify or complete appealing acquisition or investment opportunities given the intense competition for these transactions. Even if we identify and complete suitable corporate transactions, we may not be able to successfully address any integration challenges in a timely manner or at all. There have been and may continue to be difficulties with implementing new systems and processes or with integrating systems and processes of companies with complex operations, which may result in inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies and may increase our vulnerability to cybersecurity attacks or the risk that our internal controls are found to be ineffective.

Failing to successfully integrate or realign our business to take advantage of efficiencies or reduce redundancies of an acquisition or divestiture may result in not realizing all or any of the anticipated benefits of the transaction. In addition, failing to achieve the financial model projections for an acquisition or changes in technology development and related roadmaps following an acquisition may result in the incurrence of impairment charges (including goodwill impairments or other asset write-downs) and other expenses, both of which could negatively impact our results of operations or financial condition. Acquisitions and investments may also result in the issuance of equity securities that may be dilutive to our stockholders as well as earn-out or other contingent consideration payments and the issuance of additional indebtedness that would put pressure on liquidity. Furthermore, we may agree to provide continuing service obligations or enter into other agreements in order to obtain certain regulatory approvals of our corporate transactions, and failure to satisfy these additional obligations could result in our failing to obtain regulatory approvals or the imposition of additional obligations on us, any of which could negatively affect our business. In addition, new legislation or additional regulations may affect or impair our ability to invest with or in certain other countries or require us to obtain regulatory approvals to do so, including investments in joint ventures, minority investments and outbound technology transfers to certain countries.

Acquisitions and alliance activities inherently involve other risks as well, including those associated with disruption to our business and the continued successful execution of our company strategy, goals and responsibilities; assimilation and integration of different business operations, corporate cultures, personnel, infrastructures and technologies or solutions acquired or licensed, while maintaining quality, and designing and implementing appropriate risk management measures; and the possibility of conflict with joint venture or alliance partners regarding strategic direction, prioritization of objectives and goals, governance matters or operations.

Cost saving measures, restructurings and divestitures have had and may in the future result in workforce reduction and consolidation of our facilities. As a result of these actions, we have experienced and may in the future experience a loss of continuity, loss of accumulated knowledge, disruptions to our operations and inefficiency during transitional periods. These actions could also impact employee retention. In addition, we cannot be sure that these actions will be as successful in reducing our overall expenses as we expect, that additional costs will not offset any such reductions or consolidations or that we do not forego future business opportunities as a result of these actions.

Our strategic relationships subject us to risks and uncertainties that could harm our business.

We have entered into and expect to continue to enter into strategic relationships with various partners for product development, manufacturing, sales growth and the supply of technologies, components, equipment and materials for use in our product design and manufacturing. Please see the risk factor entitled “We are dependent on a limited number of qualified suppliers who provide critical services, materials or components, and a disruption in our supply chain could negatively affect our business,” for a further description of the risks associated with our reliance on external suppliers. Our strategic relationships are subject to various risks that could harm the value of our investments, our revenue and costs, our future rate of spending, our technology plans and our future growth opportunities. Further, our control over the operations of our strategic partnerships may be limited, and our interests could diverge from our strategic partners’ interests regarding ongoing and future activities.

Our strategic relationships are subject to additional risks that could harm our business, including, but not limited to, the following: failure by our strategic partners to comply with applicable laws or employ effective internal controls; difficulties and delays in product and technology development at, ramping production at, and transferring technology to, our strategic partners; declining financial performance of our strategic partners, including failure by our strategic partners to timely fund capital investments with us or otherwise meet their commitments, including the payment of amounts owed to us or third parties when due; losing the rights to, or ability to independently manufacture, certain technology or products being developed or manufactured by strategic partners, including as a result of any of them being acquired by another company, filing for bankruptcy or experiencing financial or other losses; a bankruptcy event involving a strategic partner, which could result in structural changes to or termination of the strategic partnership; and changes in tax or regulatory requirements, which may necessitate changes to the agreements governing our strategic partnerships.

MACROECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY RISKS

Adverse global or regional conditions could harm our business.

A large portion of our revenue is derived from our international operations, and many of our products and components are produced overseas. As a result, our business depends significantly on global and regional conditions. Adverse changes in global or regional economic and social conditions, including, but not limited to, volatility in the financial markets, reduced access to credit, recession, inflation, rising interest rates, trade wars or changes to tariffs, slower growth in certain geographic regions, political uncertainty, geopolitical tensions or conflicts, terrorism, other macroeconomic factors and new or changed regulations, could significantly harm demand for our products, increase credit and collectability risks, result in revenue reductions, reduce profitability as a result of underutilization of our assets, cause us to change our business practices, increase manufacturing and operating costs or result in impairment charges or other expenses.

In addition, armed conflicts and heightened geopolitical tensions can result in sanctions, export controls, tariffs and other trade restrictions, limit or restrict our ability to access certain markets and disrupt critical logistics networks, including air and ocean freight routes. For example, the escalation of the conflict involving Iran and heightened tensions in the Middle East could cause disruption to critical logistics and supply routes, which could affect the availability and cost of materials used in our business. Additionally, China has imposed export restrictions on rare earth minerals and related materials critical to semiconductor and hard drive manufacturing. These developments have increased, and could further increase, costs for, or limit the availability of, energy, rare earth minerals, materials, components and transportation, constrain manufacturing capacity and may require us to redesign products or reconfigure aspects of our global supply chain. Geopolitical instability may also elevate cybersecurity risks, including state-sponsored attacks, which could disrupt our operations or those of our suppliers, customers or partners, and further adversely affect demand for our products.

Our revenue growth is significantly dependent on the growth of international markets, and we are subject to risks that could harm our business associated with our global manufacturing operations, global sales efforts and our utilization of contract manufacturers. These risks include: the need to obtain governmental approvals and compliance with evolving foreign regulations; the need to comply with regulations on international business, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the United Kingdom Bribery Act 2010, the anti-bribery laws of other countries and rules regarding conflict minerals; the effects of political and economic instability; exchange, currency and tax controls and reallocations; the ongoing development and applicability of global and local tax systems; weaker protection of IP rights; policies and financial incentives by governments in China, the U.S., and countries in Europe and Asia designed to reduce dependence on foreign manufacturing capabilities; trade restrictions, such as export controls, export bans, import restrictions, embargoes, sanctions, license and certification requirements (including encryption and other technology), trade wars, tariffs and complex customs regulations; difficulties in managing international operations, including appropriate internal controls; and fluctuations in financial markets and interruptions to supply chains from public health crises.

In addition, if we fail to effectively manage our government relationships in various jurisdictions in which we operate, we may experience missed opportunities (including incentives and investments), unfavorable policy outcomes or operational inefficiencies, any of which would put us at a competitive disadvantage.

Changes in U.S. trade policy and the impact of tariffs and retaliatory actions may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by uncertainty and changes in U.S. trade policies, including tariffs, trade agreements or other trade restrictions imposed by the U.S. or other governments. Changes to U.S. trade policy, in particular with regard to tariffs, have caused substantial market uncertainty and, in certain cases, retaliatory measures by trading partners.

Any imposition of new tariffs or increase in existing tariff rates may increase the cost of importing our products or the costs for materials or components used in our products, which would increase our overall costs unless we are able to implement actions to offset these costs, such as leveraging tariff exemptions where possible, optimizing our supply chain, sourcing from alternative suppliers, or passing the costs to our customers through tariff surcharges or increased prices. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully offset or mitigate any resulting increase in our costs. If we are unable to pass on any cost increases or if supply and demand conditions will not support price increases for our products, our revenue and gross margin would be negatively impacted. In addition, retaliatory actions by other countries in response to U.S. trade policy could increase the ultimate price for our products, negatively affect demand for our products or restrict our ability to manufacture our products.

Tariffs or other trade restrictions may also lead to negative economic impacts for our customers, declining consumer confidence, significant inflation and diminished expectations for the economy, as well as ultimately reduced demand for our products. Such conditions could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, tariff actions by the U.S. and retaliatory actions by other countries have caused, and may in the future cause, significant disruption and volatility in the financial markets, which could adversely affect the availability, terms and cost of capital, including to refinance our existing debt, and which in turn could reduce our cash flows and harm our business.

Changes in tariffs and trade restrictions can be announced with little or no advance notice. The adoption and expansion of tariffs or other trade restrictions, increasing trade tensions and retaliatory actions, or other changes in governmental policies related to tariffs, trade agreements or trade policies are difficult to predict, which makes risks difficult to anticipate and mitigate. If we are unable to navigate further changes in U.S. or international trade policy, it could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our industry is subject to variations in demand, pricing and competitive factors, which can negatively impact our business.

Demand for and prices of our products are influenced by, among other factors, the actual and projected growth of data to be stored, the spending plans of our large hyperscale customers, the balance between supply and demand in the storage market, macroeconomic factors (such as tariffs and actual or perceived threat of recessions), business conditions, the emergence or growth of new or existing technologies (including AI), technology transitions and other actions taken by us or our competitors. We experience competition from other companies that produce alternative storage technologies such as flash memory, particularly in our legacy markets where we participate with our lower capacity, smaller form factor HDDs. The storage market has in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, periods of excess capacity leading to our factories running below the desired utilization levels, resulting in us taking underutilization charges, inventory write-downs and reductions in average selling prices (“ASPs”), all of which lead to negative impacts on our revenue and gross margins.

While our ASPs tend to be relatively stable, we may experience periods during an industry downturn when we face adverse headwinds to our ASPs. Additionally, our gross margin may face downward pressure if we are unable to migrate our product mix to the higher capacity needs of our customers and/or to reach the desired manufacturing yield in our production.

Additionally, if there is consolidation among our customer base, our customers may be able to command increased leverage in negotiating prices and other terms of sale, which could negatively impact our profitability. Consolidation among our customer base may also lead to reduced demand for our products, increased customer pressure on our prices, replacement of our products by the combined entity with those of our competitors and cancellations of orders, each of which could harm our operating results.

Our operations, and those of certain of our suppliers and customers, are subject to substantial risk of damage or disruption.

We conduct our operations primarily at large, high-volume, purpose-built facilities in California and throughout Asia. The facilities of many of our customers, our suppliers and our customers’ suppliers are also concentrated in certain geographic locations throughout Asia and elsewhere. If a fire, flood, earthquake, tsunami or other natural disaster, condition or event such as a power outage, contamination event, terrorist attack, cybersecurity incident, physical security breach, political instability, civil unrest, localized labor unrest or other employment issues or a health epidemic or pandemic negatively affects any of these facilities, it would significantly affect our ability to manufacture or sell our products and source components and would harm our business. Possible impacts include work and equipment stoppages and damage to or closure of our facilities, or those of our suppliers or customers, for an indefinite period of time. Climate change has in the past and is expected to continue to increase the incidence and severity of certain natural disasters, including wildfires, floods and other adverse weather events. In addition, the geographic concentration of our manufacturing sites could exacerbate the negative impacts resulting from any of these problems.

We may incur losses beyond the limits of, or outside the scope of, the coverage of our insurance policies. There can be no assurance that in the future we will be able to maintain existing insurance coverage or that premiums will not increase substantially. Due to market availability, pricing or other reasons, we may elect not to purchase insurance coverage or to purchase only limited coverage. We maintain limited insurance coverage and, in some cases, no coverage at all, for natural disasters and damage to our facilities, as these types of insurance are sometimes not available or available only at a prohibitive cost. Climate change may reduce the availability or increase the cost of certain types of insurance by contributing to an increase in the incidence and severity of certain natural disasters and adverse weather events. Losses not covered by insurance may be significant, which could materially harm our results of operations and financial condition.

We may be adversely affected by the risks, challenges, and evolving regulatory landscape associated with the use of AI in our operations, product development, and business practices.

We are increasingly leveraging AI technologies, including generative AI applications and tools, to support and enhance our various operational processes. While AI may promote efficiency and offer analytical advantages, it is complex and rapidly-changing, and its implementation carries inherent risks. Implementation of AI technologies can be costly and time-consuming, and the effectiveness or potential benefits of such technologies may vary depending on use case, integration, and oversight. The incorporation of AI algorithms or training methodologies into our operations or decision-making processes may result in flawed, irrelevant, insufficient, inaccurate, biased or non-compliant outputs, potentially impacting our strategic choices, operational effectiveness, and regulatory compliance. These inaccuracies can arise from limitations in training data, algorithmic design, or unintended consequences of machine learning models. Actual or perceived deficiencies, failures or misuse in our implementation or use of AI could result in competitive disadvantages, operational inefficiencies, regulatory action, legal liability, brand or reputational harm, and negative financial results.

In addition, the use of AI in the development of our products could potentially lead to ambiguities in intellectual property ownership, infringement or misappropriation risks, which could impact our competitive position and expose us to litigation, monetary penalties, or operational disruptions. The unauthorized or unapproved use of generative AI tools by our employees, contractors, or other third parties, as well as overreliance on AI automation or agentic AI without appropriate human oversight, may lead to the inadvertent disclosure of confidential, proprietary, or personal information, flawed or unauthorized actions, or other adverse consequences, including disruptions to business operations, exposing us to data security, privacy, legal, regulatory, and reputational risks.

Misuse of such tools can also result in violations of applicable laws and regulations, including data protection and intellectual property laws. Governments worldwide are adopting or proposing AI-specific regulations, including the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, as well as various proposed frameworks in the U.S., China, and other jurisdictions. These regulations may impose requirements on the development, deployment, and use of AI systems in our products or operations, require jurisdiction-specific product configurations, increase compliance costs, or limit our ability to leverage AI technologies. The evolving and potentially divergent nature of these regulations creates uncertainty and could adversely affect our business. Public and governmental perceptions regarding the use and impact of AI may evolve over time and could give rise to new regulatory requirements, legal liability, or reputational harm. If we enable or offer products that support AI solutions that draw controversy due to their perceived or actual impact on society, including concerns relating to human rights, privacy, employment, or other social, economic, or political issues, we may experience reputational harm, competitive harm, or legal liability, even if we do not directly control the end-use applications.

Further, the rapid growth of AI infrastructure, including data centers that use our products, requires substantial energy consumption. Environmental concerns about the energy demands of AI workloads, including actual or perceived environmental issues associated with data center power consumption, could lead to regulatory constraints on data center development, increased sustainability reporting obligations, or shifts in customer or public sentiment regarding AI infrastructure expansion. Any of these developments could adversely affect demand for our products or increase our customers’ costs of deploying storage solutions in AI environments, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We have historically experienced variability in our sales and cyclicality in our industry, which could cause our operating results to fluctuate. In addition, accurately forecasting demand is difficult, which could harm our business.

Our business is subject to variability of sales because it is largely dependent on the buying patterns of our large Cloud customers, driven by their needs for deploying our technology in their data center buildouts, as well as on their ability to procure other products that go into such buildouts. Changes in their demand patterns and in cyclical supply and demand patterns have made it, and could continue to make it, difficult for us to forecast demand. Changes in the linearity of our business within a quarter can also impact our business. As a result of the above or other factors, our forecast of financial results for a given quarter may differ materially from our actual financial results.

The variety and volume of products we manufacture are based in part on accurately forecasting market and customer demand for our products, which are influenced by a wide variety of factors. As a result of the number and complexity of these factors, accurately forecasting demand has at times been difficult for us, our customers and our suppliers. In addition, because our products are designed to be largely interchangeable with competitors’ products, our demand forecasts may be impacted significantly by the strategic actions of our competitors. If our forecasts exceed actual market demand, there could be periods of product oversupply, excess inventory, underutilization of manufacturing capacity and price decreases, which could impact our sales, ASPs and gross margin or require us to incur inventory write-downs or charges for unabsorbed manufacturing overhead, thereby negatively affecting our operating results and our financial condition. If market demand increases significantly beyond our forecasts or beyond our ability to add manufacturing capacity, then we may not be able to satisfy customer product needs, possibly resulting in a loss of market share if our competitors are able to meet customer demands. In addition, some of our components have long lead-times, requiring us to place orders several months in advance of anticipated demand. Such long lead-times increase the risk of excess inventory, potentially resulting in inventory write-downs, or loss of sales in the event our forecasts vary substantially from actual demand.

The compromise, damage or interruption of our technology infrastructure, information systems or products by cybersecurity incidents, data security breaches, other security problems, design defects, information system failures or other events could have a material negative impact on our business.

We have experienced cybersecurity incidents of varying degrees on our technology infrastructure and information systems and, as a result, unauthorized parties have obtained in the past, and may obtain in the future, access to our computer systems and networks, including cloud-based platforms. These incidents have in the past caused, and may in the future cause, disruption to parts of our business operations and result in various investigation, recovery and remediation expenses. In addition, the technology infrastructure and information systems of some of our suppliers, vendors, service providers, cloud solution providers and partners have in the past experienced, and may in the future experience, such incidents. Types of cybersecurity incidents include but are not limited to ransomware, network or computer denial-of-service attacks, unauthorized access to and theft of confidential data, or other attacks, including the covert introduction of malware to computers and networks, and the use of techniques or processes that change frequently, may be disguised or difficult to detect, or are designed to remain dormant until a triggering event, and may continue undetected for an extended period of time. Cybersecurity incidents have in the past resulted from, and may in the future result from, social engineering or impersonation of authorized users, and may also result from efforts to discover and exploit any design flaws, bugs, security vulnerabilities or security weaknesses, intentional or unintentional acts by employees or other insiders with access privileges, intentional acts of vandalism or fraud by third parties and sabotage. In some instances, efforts to correct vulnerabilities or prevent incidents have in the past, and may in the future, reduce the functionality or performance of our information systems and networks, which could negatively impact our business. We believe malicious cybersecurity acts are increasing in number and that cybersecurity threat actors are increasingly organized and well-financed or supported by state actors and are developing increasingly sophisticated systems and means to not only infiltrate information systems, but also to evade detection or to obscure their activities. Additionally, as AI capabilities continue to evolve and become more readily available, we may face increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks that leverage AI technologies. These may include highly convincing phishing or social engineering attacks that use AI-generated deepfakes, the exploitation of vulnerabilities in electronic identity validation security programs via AI-replicated images or voices, or the inadvertent incorporation of malicious or hallucinated content generated by AI tools into our systems or those of our customers or partners. Separately, the AI technologies that we employ for business purposes may be vulnerable to prompt-injection or other adversarial attacks, which could result in unauthorized access to or leakage of sensitive information. Geopolitical tensions or conflicts may also create heightened risk of cybersecurity incidents.

Our products are also targets for malicious cybersecurity acts, including those products utilized in cloud-based environments as well as our cloud service offerings. Our cloud services have in the past and may in the future be taken offline as a result of or in order to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents. While some of our products contain encryption or security algorithms to protect third-party content or user-generated data stored on our products, these products could still be hacked or the encryption schemes could be compromised, breached or circumvented by motivated and sophisticated attackers, which could harm our business by exposing us to litigation and indemnification claims and hurting our reputation.

When efforts to breach our infrastructure, information systems or products are successful, we have in the past suffered, and could in the future suffer, interruptions, delays or cessation of operations of our information systems, and loss or misuse of proprietary or confidential information, IP, or sensitive or personal information. We may also experience disruptions or outages of our information systems due to internal or third-party mistakes or technical errors, including due to software updates, which could disrupt our business operations. Compromises of our infrastructure, information systems or products could also cause our customers and other affected third parties to suffer loss or misuse of proprietary or confidential information, IP, or sensitive or personal information and could harm our relationships with customers and other third parties and subject us to liability. As a result of actual or perceived cybersecurity incidents or other information system disruptions, we have in the past experienced and may in the future experience additional costs, notification requirements, civil and administrative fines and penalties, indemnification claims, litigation or damage to our brand and reputation. All of these consequences could harm our reputation and our business and materially and negatively impact our operating results and financial condition.

FINANCIAL RISKS

Our incurrence of additional debt may negatively impact our liquidity, restrict our operations and ability to respond to business opportunities, and increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions.

We utilize debt financing in our capital structure. Our past debt levels have at times been substantial, and we may in the future incur additional debt, including under our revolving credit facility maturing in January 2027 (the “Revolving Credit Facility”), subject to customary conditions in our loan agreements. Substantial levels of debt could have significant consequences, including limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general corporate purposes; requiring a substantial portion of our cash flows to be dedicated to debt service payments instead of other purposes; and imposing financial and other restrictive covenants on our operations.

We also utilize convertible debt in our capital structure. Our 3.00% convertible senior notes due 2028 (the “2028 Convertible Notes”) are currently convertible as a result of the sale price conditional feature being triggered, and as a result, the holders of the 2028 Convertible Notes have the right to convert the notes during the next succeeding calendar quarter. As such, these convertible notes were classified as current debt as of July 3, 2026. When holders of our convertible debt exercise conversion rights, we are required to settle the principal amount of the converted notes in cash and may pay or deliver, as the case may be, cash, shares of our common stock or a combination thereof, at our election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of our conversion obligation in excess of the principal amount. The satisfaction of our conversion obligations, therefore, could reduce available cash, result in the incurrence of additional borrowings, and/or result in the issuance of a significant number of shares of our common stock, which issuance could dilute our existing stockholders, reduce the value of our common stock, or both.

As our bank debt contains a variable interest rate component based on our corporate credit ratings, a decline in our ratings has in the past resulted in, and could in the future result in, increased interest rates and debt service obligations. In addition, our ratings impact the cost and availability of future borrowings and, accordingly, our cost of capital. Our ratings reflect the opinions of the ratings agencies as to our financial strength, operating performance and ability to meet our debt obligations. There can be no assurance that we will achieve a particular rating or maintain a particular rating in the future.

We may from time to time seek to refinance our indebtedness by issuing additional shares of common stock or other securities that are convertible into common stock or grant the holder the right to purchase common stock, each of which may dilute our existing stockholders, reduce the value of our common stock, or both.

Tax matters may materially affect our financial position and results of operations.

Changes in tax laws in the U.S., the European Union and around the globe have impacted and will continue to impact our effective worldwide tax rate, which may materially affect our financial position and results of operations. In the U.S., the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA) includes broad tax reform provisions. Further, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) two-pillar approach to taxation with a global corporate minimum tax rate of 15% has been enacted in several jurisdictions. Due to the large scale of our U.S. and international business operations, enacted and proposed changes to tax laws — including those affecting the taxation of our global activities — could materially affect our worldwide effective tax rate and adversely impact our financial results and cash flows.

Additionally, portions of our operations are subject to a reduced tax rate or are free of tax under various tax holidays that expire in whole or in part from time to time, or may be terminated if certain conditions are not met. Although many of these holidays may be extended when certain conditions are met, in the past we have not been able to, and in the future, we may not be able to meet such conditions. If the tax holidays are not extended, or if we fail to satisfy the conditions of the reduced tax rate, then our effective tax rate could increase in the future. Our effective tax rate may be negatively impacted if we are unable to realize deferred tax assets. We regularly review our deferred tax assets for recoverability and establish a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. If we are unable to generate sufficient future taxable income or if there is a change to the time period within which the underlying temporary differences become taxable or deductible, we could be required to increase our valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets, which could result in a material increase in our effective tax rate.

Our determination of our tax liability in the U.S. and other jurisdictions is subject to review by applicable domestic and foreign tax authorities. For example, as disclosed in Part II, Item 8, Note 9, Income Taxes, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we are under examination by the Internal Revenue Service for certain fiscal years. Although we believe our tax positions are properly supported, the final timing and resolution of any tax examinations are subject to significant uncertainty and could result in litigation or the payment of significant amounts to the applicable tax authority in order to resolve examination of our tax positions, which could result in an increase of our current estimate of unrecognized tax benefits and may harm our business.

If the completed Separation of Sandisk were to fail to qualify as a transaction that is generally tax-free for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we and our stockholders could be subject to significant tax liabilities.

On February 21, 2025, we completed our planned spin-off of our Flash business unit from our remaining HDD business (which we refer to as the Separation), as a result of which Sandisk Corporation (“Sandisk”) became an independent public company. While the Separation was intended to be tax-free to our stockholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, there is no assurance that the Separation will qualify for this treatment. If the Separation is ultimately determined to be taxable, Western Digital, Sandisk, or our stockholders could incur income tax and/or other liabilities that could be significant. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and the price of our common stock.

Any decisions to reduce or discontinue paying cash dividends to our stockholders or the repurchase of our shares of common stock pursuant to our previously announced share repurchase program could cause the market price for our common stock to decline.

Although our Board of Directors authorized the adoption of a quarterly cash dividend program and a share repurchase program during the fourth quarter of 2025, we are under no obligation to pay cash dividends to our stockholders in the future or to repurchase shares of our common stock at any particular price or at all. The declaration and payment of any future dividends and any future repurchase of our common stock is at the discretion of our Board of Directors. Our payment of quarterly cash dividends and the repurchase of shares of our common stock pursuant to our share repurchase program are subject to, among other things, our financial position and results of operations, available cash and cash flow, capital and regulatory requirements, market and economic conditions, the market price of our common stock, and other factors. Any reduction or discontinuance by us of the payment of quarterly cash dividends or the repurchase of shares of our common stock could cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Moreover, in the event our payment of quarterly cash dividends or repurchases of shares of our common stock is reduced or discontinued, our failure or inability to resume such activities could result in a persistent lower market valuation for our common stock.

Fluctuations in currency exchange rates as a result of our international operations may negatively affect our operating results.

Because we manufacture and sell our products abroad, our revenue, cost of revenue, margins, operating costs and cash flows are impacted by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. If the U.S. dollar exhibits sustained weakness against most foreign currencies, the U.S. dollar equivalents of unhedged manufacturing costs could increase because a portion of our production costs are foreign-currency denominated. Conversely, there would not be an offsetting impact to revenues since revenues are substantially U.S. dollar denominated. Additionally, we negotiate and procure some of our component requirements in U.S. dollars from non-U.S. based vendors. If the U.S. dollar weakens against other foreign currencies, some of our component suppliers may increase the price they charge for their components in order to maintain an equivalent profit margin. When such events occur, they have had, and may in the future have, a negative impact on our business.

Prices for our products are substantially U.S. dollar denominated, even when sold to customers that are located outside the U.S. Therefore, as a substantial portion of our sales are from countries outside the U.S., fluctuations in currency exchange rates, such as the strengthening of the U.S. dollar against other foreign currencies, could increase the cost of our products in those countries and negatively impact demand and revenue growth. In addition, currency variations may adversely affect, and from time to time have adversely affected, margins on sales of our products in countries outside the U.S.

We attempt to manage the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes by, among other things, entering into short-term foreign exchange contracts. However, these contracts may not cover our full exposure and can be canceled by the counterparty if currency controls are put in place. Thus, our decisions and hedging strategy with respect to currency risks may not be successful and may actually harm our operating results. Further, the ability to enter into foreign exchange contracts with financial institutions is based upon our available credit from such institutions and compliance with covenants and other restrictions. Operating losses, third party downgrades of our credit rating or instability in the worldwide financial markets could impact our ability to effectively manage our foreign currency exchange rate risk. Hedging also exposes us to the credit risk of our counterparty financial institutions.

Increases in our customers’ credit risk could result in credit losses and term extensions under existing contracts with customers with credit losses could result in an increase in our operating costs.

Some of our OEM customers have adopted a subcontractor model that requires us to contract directly with companies, such as ODMs, that provide manufacturing and fulfillment services to our OEM customers. Because these subcontractors are generally not as well capitalized as our direct OEM customers, this subcontractor model exposes us to increased credit risks. Our agreements with our OEM customers may not permit us to increase our product prices to alleviate this increased credit risk. Additionally, as we attempt to expand our OEM and distribution channel sales into emerging economies, the customers with the most success in these regions may have relatively short operating histories, making it more difficult for us to accurately assess the associated credit risks. Our customers’ credit risk may also be exacerbated by an economic downturn or other adverse global or regional economic conditions. Any credit losses we may suffer as a result of these increased risks, or as a result of credit losses from any significant customer, especially in situations where there are term extensions under existing contracts with such customers, would increase our operating costs, which may negatively impact our operating results.

LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE RISKS

We are subject to laws, rules and regulations relating to the collection, use, sharing and security of data, including personal data, and our failure to comply with these laws, rules and regulations could subject us to proceedings by governmental entities or others and cause us to incur penalties, significant legal liability, or loss of customers, loss of revenue and reputational harm.

We are subject to laws, rules and regulations relating to the collection, use, security and privacy of data, including data that relates to or identifies an individual person. We are also subject to the terms of our privacy policies and obligations to third parties related to privacy, data protection and security. In many cases, these requirements apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information between our information systems and our subsidiaries, and among us, our subsidiaries and other parties with which we have commercial relations. Our possession and use of data, including personal data and employee data in conducting our business, subjects us to legal and regulatory obligations that require us to notify vendors, customers or employees or other parties with which we have commercial relations of a data security breach and to respond to regulatory inquiries and to enforcement proceedings. Managing these notifications, especially in large volumes, can lead to significant expenses, even with cybersecurity insurance coverage. Laws and regulations relating to the collection, use, security and privacy of data change over time and new laws and regulations become effective from time to time. We are subject to notice and privacy statement requirements, as well as obligations to respond to data subject requests. Global privacy and data protection legislation, enforcement and policy activity in this area are rapidly expanding and evolving, including with respect to the use of AI, and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. We may also be subject to restrictions on cross-border data transfers and requirements for localized storage of data that could increase our compliance costs and risks and affect the ability of our global operations to coordinate activities and respond to customers and individuals. Our use of AI technology may create new privacy and security risks, especially where personal data is involved. The use of AI may raise ethical concerns, lead to flawed outcomes, or present other privacy and security risks that could make it more difficult to adopt or implement effectively. Compliance requirements or even our inadvertent failure to comply with applicable laws may cause us to incur substantial costs, subject us to proceedings by governmental entities or others, and cause us to incur penalties or other significant legal liability or lead us to change our business practices.

We are and may continue to be involved in litigation, investigations and governmental proceedings, which may be costly, may divert the efforts of our key personnel and could result in adverse court rulings, fines or penalties, which could materially harm our business.

We are or have in the past been, and may in the future be, involved in litigation, including antitrust and commercial matters, putative securities class action suits and other actions. We are the plaintiff in some of these actions and the defendant in others. Some of the actions seek injunctive relief, including injunctions against the sale of our products, and substantial monetary damages, which if granted or awarded, could materially harm our business. We have in the past been and may in the future be the subject of inquiries, requests for information, investigations and actions by government and regulatory agencies regarding our businesses. Any such matters could result in material adverse consequences to our results of operations, financial condition or ability to conduct our business, including fines, penalties or restrictions on our business activities.

Litigation is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations. In the event of an adverse outcome in any litigation, investigation or governmental proceeding, we could be required to pay substantial damages, fines or penalties and cease certain practices or activities, including the manufacture, use and sale of products. With or without merit, such matters may be complex, may extend for a protracted period of time, may be very expensive and the expense may be unpredictable. Litigation initiated by us could also result in counter-claims against us, which could increase the costs associated with the litigation and result in our payment of damages or other judgments against us. In addition, litigation, investigations or governmental proceedings and any related publicity may divert the efforts and attention of some of our key personnel, affect demand for our products and harm the market prices of our securities.

We may be obligated to indemnify our current or former directors or employees, or former directors or employees of companies that we have acquired, in connection with litigation, investigations or governmental proceedings. These liabilities could be substantial and may include, among other things: the costs of defending lawsuits against these individuals; the cost of defending shareholder derivative suits; the cost of governmental, law enforcement or regulatory investigations or proceedings; civil or criminal fines and penalties; legal and other expenses; and expenses associated with the remedial measures, if any, which may be imposed.

The nature of our industry and its reliance on IP and other proprietary information subjects us and our suppliers, customers and partners to the risk of significant litigation.

The data storage industry has been characterized by significant litigation. This includes litigation relating to patent and other IP rights, product liability claims and other types of litigation. We are frequently involved in disputes regarding patent and other IP rights, and we and our customers have in the past received, and we and our customers may in the future receive, communications from third parties asserting that certain of our products, processes or technologies infringe upon their patent rights, copyrights, trademark rights or other IP rights. Even if we believe that such claims are without merit, they may be time-consuming and costly to defend against and may divert management’s attention and resources away from our business. We may also receive claims of potential infringement if we attempt to license IP to others. IP risks increase when we participate in new markets where we have little or no IP protection as a deterrent against litigation. The complexity of the technology involved and the uncertainty of IP litigation increase the IP risks we face. Litigation can be expensive, lengthy and disruptive to normal business operations. Moreover, the results of litigation are inherently uncertain and have resulted in, and may in the future result in, adverse rulings or decisions. We may be subject to injunctions, enter into settlements or be subject to judgments that may harm our business.

If we incorporate third-party technology into our products or if claims or actions are asserted against us for alleged infringement of the IP of others, we may be required to obtain a license or cross-license, modify our existing technology or design a new non-infringing technology. Such licenses or design modifications can be extremely costly. We evaluate notices of alleged patent infringement and notices of patents from patent holders that we receive from time to time. We may decide to settle a claim or action against us, which settlement could be costly. We may also be liable for past infringement. If there is an adverse ruling against us in an infringement lawsuit, an injunction could be issued barring production or sale of any infringing product. It could also result in a damage award equal to a reasonable royalty or lost profits or, if there is a finding of willful infringement, treble damages. Any of these results would increase our costs and harm our operating results. In addition, our suppliers, customers and partners are subject to similar risks of litigation, and a material, adverse ruling against a supplier, customer or partner could negatively impact our business.

Moreover, from time to time, we agree to indemnify certain of our suppliers and customers for alleged IP infringement. The scope of such indemnity varies but may include indemnification for direct and consequential damages and expenses, including attorneys’ fees. We may be engaged in litigation as a result of these indemnification obligations. Third party claims for patent infringement are excluded from coverage under our insurance policies. A future obligation to indemnify our customers or suppliers may harm our business.

Our reliance on IP and other proprietary information subjects us to the risk that these key components of our business could be copied by competitors.

Our success depends, in significant part, on the proprietary nature of our technology, including non-patentable IP such as our process technology. If we fail to protect our technology, IP or contract rights, our customers and others may seek to use our technology and IP without the payment of license fees and royalties, which could weaken our competitive position, reduce our operating results and increase the likelihood of costly litigation. We primarily rely on patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws, as well as non-disclosure agreements and other methods, to protect our proprietary technologies and processes. There can be no assurance that our existing patents will continue to be held valid, if challenged, or that they will have sufficient scope or strength to protect us. It is also possible that competitors or other unauthorized third parties may obtain, copy, use or disclose, illegally or otherwise, our proprietary technologies and processes, despite our efforts to protect our proprietary technologies and processes. If a competitor is able to reproduce or otherwise capitalize on our technology despite the safeguards we have in place, it may be difficult, expensive or impossible for us to obtain necessary legal protection. There are entities whom we believe may infringe our IP. Enforcement of our rights often requires litigation. If we bring a patent infringement action and are not successful, our competitors may be able to use similar technology to compete with us. Moreover, the defendant in such an action may successfully countersue us for infringement of their patents or assert a counterclaim that our patents are invalid or unenforceable. Also, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our IP to the same extent as do U.S. laws. In addition to patent protection of IP rights, we consider elements of our product designs and processes to be proprietary and confidential. We rely upon employee, consultant and vendor non-disclosure agreements and contractual provisions and a system of internal safeguards to protect our proprietary information. However, we cannot be certain that these contracts and safeguards have not been and will not be breached, that we will be able to timely detect unauthorized use or transfer of our technology and IP, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach or that our trade secrets will not otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors. Any of our registered or unregistered IP rights may be challenged or exploited by others in the industry, which could harm our operating results.

Maintaining and strengthening our brands is important to maintaining and expanding our business, as well as to our ability to enter into new markets for our technologies, products and services. The success of our brands depends in part on the positive image that consumers have of our brands. We believe the popularity of our brands makes them a target of counterfeiting or imitation, with third parties attempting to pass off counterfeit products as our products. We license certain IP rights related to our brands for use by third parties and have safeguards in place to monitor and control such use. We also license certain IP rights related to brands from third parties that we rely on to offer, distribute and sell certain of our products. However, we cannot be certain that our licenses to third parties have not been and will not be breached by such parties, that the licenses we take from third parties will not be revoked or invalidated, or that the safeguards we have in place will comprehensively protect against marketplace confusion. Any occurrence of counterfeiting, imitation or confusion with our brands could negatively affect our reputation and impair the value of our brands, which in turn could negatively impact sales and pricing of our branded products, our share and our gross margin, as well as increase our administrative costs related to brand protection and counterfeit detection and prosecution. Additionally, our ability to prevent unauthorized uses of our brands and technologies would be negatively impacted if our trademark registrations were successfully challenged or overturned in the jurisdictions where we do business. We also have trademark applications pending in a number of jurisdictions that may not ultimately be granted, or if granted, may be challenged or invalidated, in which case we would be unable to prevent unauthorized use of our brands and logos in such jurisdictions. We have not filed trademark registrations in all jurisdictions where our brands or logos may be used.

We are and may in the future be subject to state, federal and international legal and regulatory requirements, such as environmental, labor, health and safety, trade and public company reporting and disclosure regulations, customers’ standards of corporate citizenship and industry and coalition standards, such as those established by the Responsible Business Alliance (“RBA”), and compliance with those regulations and requirements could cause an increase in our operating costs and failure to comply may harm our business.

We are subject to, and may become subject to, additional, state, federal and international laws and regulations governing our environmental, labor, trade, health and safety practices and public company reporting and disclosures requirements. These laws and regulations, particularly those applicable to our international operations, are or may be complex, extensive and subject to change. If we or our suppliers, customers and partners do not timely comply with such laws and regulations, it may result in an increase in our operating costs. Legislation has been, and may in the future be, enacted in locations where we manufacture or sell our products, which could impair our ability to conduct business in certain jurisdictions or with certain customers and harm our operating results. In addition, climate change and financial reform legislation is a significant topic of discussion and has generated and may continue to generate federal, international or other regulatory responses in the near future, which could substantially increase the complexity of our public-company reporting and disclosure requirements and our compliance and operating costs. If we or our suppliers, customers or partners fail to timely comply with applicable legislation, certain customers may refuse to purchase our products or we may face increased operating costs as a result of taxes, fines or penalties, or legal liability and reputational damage, which could harm our business.

In connection with our compliance with environmental laws and regulations, as well as our compliance with industry and coalition environmental initiatives, such as those established by the RBA, the standards of business conduct required by some of our customers, and our commitment to sound corporate citizenship in all aspects of our business, we could incur substantial compliance and operating costs and be subject to disruptions to our operations and logistics. In addition, if we or our suppliers, customers or partners were found to be in violation of these laws or noncompliant with these initiatives or standards of conduct, we could be subject to governmental fines, liability to our customers and damage to our reputation and corporate brand, which could cause our financial condition and operating results to suffer.

Our aspirations, disclosures and actions related to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters expose us to risks that could adversely affect our reputation and performance.

There is an increased focus from investors, customers, associates, business partners and other stakeholders concerning ESG matters, and we announce initiatives and goals related to ESG matters from time to time, including renewable energy and net zero emissions commitments. These statements reflect our current plans and aspirations and are not guarantees that we will be able to achieve them. Our ability to achieve any ESG objective is subject to numerous risks, many of which are outside of our control, including the availability and cost of alternative energy sources; the evolving regulatory and reporting requirements affecting ESG practices and disclosures; the locations and usage of our products and the implications on their greenhouse gas emissions; and the successful execution of our strategy. Our failure to accomplish or accurately track and report on these goals on a timely basis, or at all, and the potential added costs involved, could adversely affect our reputation; financial performance and growth; our ability to attract or retain talent; and our attractiveness as a business partner or supplier, and could expose us to increased litigation risk, as well as increased scrutiny from the investment community and enforcement authorities.

Further, our stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, and regulators, may have different, and at times conflicting, expectations regarding our ESG initiatives and goals. Proponents and opponents of sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives are increasingly resorting to activism or litigation to advance their respective positions. Actions we take in response to one set of stakeholder expectations may be viewed unfavorably by others, which could expose us to reputational harm, loss of business or litigation regardless of the approach we adopt.

The exclusive forum provisions in our Bylaws could limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with the company or its directors, officers or other employees.

Our Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or the federal district court in the State of Delaware if the Court of Chancery does not have subject matter jurisdiction) is the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action brought on behalf of the company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any current or former director, officer or other employee of the company or its stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law or our Certificate of Incorporation or Bylaws, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine (the “Delaware Exclusive Forum Provision”). Our Bylaws further provide that the federal district courts of the

U.S. will, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Federal Forum Provision”).

The Delaware Exclusive Forum Provision is intended to apply to claims arising under Delaware state law and would not apply to claims brought pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, the Federal Forum Provision is intended to apply to claims arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) and would not apply to claims brought pursuant to the Exchange Act. The exclusive forum provisions in our Bylaws will not relieve us of our duties to comply with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder and, accordingly, actions by our stockholders to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder must be brought in federal courts. Our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with these laws, rules and regulations.

The exclusive forum provisions in our Bylaws may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum of its choosing for disputes with the company or its directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against the company and its directors, officers and other employees. In addition, stockholders who do bring a claim in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware pursuant to the Delaware Exclusive Forum Provision could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near Delaware. The court in the designated forum under our exclusive forum provisions may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to the company than to our stockholders. Further, the enforceability of similar exclusive forum provisions in other companies’ organizational documents has been challenged in legal proceedings, and it is possible that a court could find any of our exclusive forum provisions to be inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings. If a court were to find all or any part of our exclusive forum provisions to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we might incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.

Risk Management and Strategy

At Western Digital, our management team is charged with managing risk and bringing to our Board of Directors’ attention all material risk exposures to our company. Our enterprise risk management (“ERM”) process is designed to facilitate the identification, assessment, management, reporting and monitoring of material risks our company may face over the short-term and long-term and promote regular communication with our Board of Directors and its committees regarding these risks. Through our ERM process, we have determined that the compromise, damage and interruption of our technology infrastructure, information systems or products by cybersecurity incidents are key risks to our company that may have a material negative impact on our business. To help mitigate the potential impact of cybersecurity incidents on our business and protect against cybersecurity threats, we have established organizational structures, procedural measures and response plans that define roles and responsibilities related to cybersecurity risk management.

Our Information Security organization addresses cybersecurity risks with a broad spectrum of technologies, controls, and processes that focus on mitigating these risks. Our cybersecurity strategy is designed to be dynamic and adaptive to combat the rapidly-evolving cybersecurity threat landscape and is influenced by commonly leveraged frameworks such as the NIST-CSF (National Institute of Standard and Technologies – CyberSecurity Framework). Our program includes, but is not limited to, advanced systems and network security protocols, electronic communications protections, vulnerability management programs, least-privilege access controls, third-party risk management procedures, workforce education and training exercises, and compliance programs.

Our dedicated 24x7 Security Operations Center incorporates specialized systems and processes for handling security incidents into its regular work and operates a robust, modern security infrastructure with appropriate security sensors and event monitoring capabilities. Upon detection of a cybersecurity incident, the Security Operations Center determines the severity of the incident in accordance with a pre-established incident severity matrix, initiates the appropriate notification and escalation protocols and begins triage. Predefined severity tiers serve as a guide to match our response to each incident’s determined severity or risk level.

Additionally, we have established a Cyber Incident Response Plan that follows the structure of the Incident Handling Guide published by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (SP 800-61r2) and that serves as an operational guide for handling cybersecurity incidents. Our Cyber Incident Response Plan provides procedural and strategic guidance that is designed to be flexible enough to apply to a variety of different incidents, but also specific enough to provide guidelines for incident prevention, detection, analysis, escalation and notification, and containment, eradication and recovery.

As part of our ongoing information security program, we utilize periodic independent third-party experts to conduct assessments of our program’s effectiveness. These experts are also leveraged to design and orchestrate tabletop exercises where multiple business functions and leadership levels must navigate complex incident scenarios to help determine our level of preparedness for various cybersecurity incidents.

As part of our business operations, we engage with a number of third parties, including but not limited to, online software service providers, vendors, consultants, and partners. Each of these third parties must be cleared through a formal cybersecurity risk assessment process before being allowed to integrate with our information systems, access confidential data, or provide electronic services to members of our workforce. Additionally, further scrutiny is applied during the post-assessment onboarding process in order to fine-tune access rights to limit privileges to those necessary to enable the related service, resulting in a least-privilege level of access.

We have in the past experienced cybersecurity incidents of varying degrees involving our technology infrastructure and information systems, including incidents in which unauthorized parties have obtained access to our information systems and networks. While these incidents have at times resulted in some disruptions to our business operations, as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we do not believe that known risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incident, have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. However, we can give no assurance that we have detected or protected against all such cybersecurity incidents or threats or that we will not experience such an incident in the future. Further details about the cybersecurity risks we face are described under “The compromise, damage or interruption of our technology infrastructure, information systems or products by cybersecurity incidents, data security breaches, other security problems, design defects, information system failures or other events could have a material negative impact on our business,” in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Governance

We have implemented a governance framework related to cybersecurity that includes operational risk-mitigation practices and Board-level cybersecurity risk oversight.

Our management team is charged with managing cybersecurity risk and identifying material cybersecurity risk exposures to our company and carries out this function primarily through our Information Security organization, which is led by our Chief Information Security Officer who has a master’s degree in computer science, over a decade of information security leadership, and thirty years of combined information technology (“IT”) leadership experience. Additionally, our Cyber Incident Response Plan discussed above calls for the establishment of a management Impact Assessment Committee, which consists of key leadership representatives from the organization and is convened on an ad hoc basis to assess the detailed business impact of a cybersecurity incident. The Impact Assessment Committee is led by our Chief Information Security Officer and includes key representatives from the Company’s functional groups, including human resources, ethics and compliance, labor, privacy, internal audit, finance, communications, legal, risk and accounting. The Impact Assessment Committee receives updates and communications from the Security Operations Center on a fixed cadence determined by incident severity and follows our pre-established escalation framework provided by our Security Incident Response Plan to communicate with and include executive leadership, outside counsel and our Board of Directors, as appropriate. The Impact Assessment Committee works with our internal and external legal counsel to determine and facilitate appropriate communications with our Board of Directors.

Our Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the cybersecurity risk management process and exercises this risk oversight through both our full Board of Directors and its Audit Committee. Our Board of Directors has delegated to our Audit Committee the responsibility to oversee risks related to cybersecurity threats, and our Audit Committee Charter requires our Audit Committee to review and discuss with management the Company’s policies with respect to risk assessment and ERM and to review the risk exposure of the Company related to the Committee’s areas of responsibility, including with respect to cybersecurity. In carrying out this role, our Audit Committee meets with our Chief Information Security Officer regularly and receives at least quarterly reports on cybersecurity matters.

Additionally, at least annually, our chief audit executive, who manages the day-to-day activities of our ERM program, reports to our Board of Directors on enterprise risk assessment under our ERM program, providing updates on key risks, status of mitigation efforts and residual risk trends, including an analysis of cybersecurity risks. Also at least annually, our Chief Information Security Officer reports to our full Board of Directors on cybersecurity matters related to or impacting our company and our business.

Our principal executive offices are located in San Jose, California. Our leased facilities have contracts expiring at various times through 2034. Our principal manufacturing, R&D, marketing and administrative facilities as of July 3, 2026 were as follows:

We also lease office space in various other locations worldwide primarily for R&D, marketing and sales, and administration. Although we believe our present facilities are adequate for our current needs, we anticipate making additional investments to enhance our operations.

See Part II, Item 8, Note 16, Legal Proceedings of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for disclosures regarding certain legal proceedings, which are incorporated by reference herein.

The following discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and should be read in conjunction with the disclosures we make concerning risks and other factors that may affect our business and operating results. You should read this information in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. See also “Forward-Looking Statements” immediately prior to Part I, Item 1, Business, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Company

We are a leading developer, manufacturer, and provider of data storage devices and solutions based on HDD technology. HDDs are critical components of the global data infrastructure market and play an essential role in enabling the AI-driven data economy. They provide reliable, cost-effective, high-capacity storage for a broad range of applications, including cloud data centers, enterprise storage systems, edge computing, smart video, client and consumer devices.

Our broad portfolio of technology and products, sold under the Western Digital® and WD® brands, addresses our customers’ storage needs through multiple end markets: “Cloud,” “Client” and “Consumer”. Cloud is our largest and fastest growing end market comprised primarily of products for public or private cloud environments and enterprise customers. Through the Client end market, we provide our OEM and channel customers a broad array of high-performance HDD solutions across desktop and notebooks. The Consumer end market offers a comprehensive portfolio of HDD external storage products that we offer globally through our retail and channel partners.

Our fiscal year ends on the Friday nearest to June 30 and typically consists of 52 weeks. Approximately every five to six years, we report a 53-week fiscal year to align the fiscal year with the foregoing policy. Fiscal year 2026, which ended on July 3, 2026, comprised 53 weeks, with the first quarter consisting of 14 weeks and the remaining quarters consisting of 13 weeks. Fiscal years 2025 and 2024, which ended on June 27, 2025 and June 28, 2024, respectively, each comprised 52 weeks, with all quarters presented consisting of 13 weeks.

Key Developments

Market Conditions and Outlook

The increasing long-term demand for data storage in the cloud is benefiting our HDD business. The adoption of AI and workloads driven by hybrid data are propelling growth in data storage as well. This creates an accelerated demand for higher-capacity drives, which have greater manufacturing complexity and longer production lead times. In response, customers are partnering with us earlier to support their future growth requirements and are extending the duration of their commercial arrangements, which improves our long-term visibility of demand.

Separation of Business Units and Monetization of Sandisk Shares

In the previous fiscal year, on February 21, 2025, we completed the Separation to create two independent public companies, with WD continuing our existing HDD business and Sandisk, formerly a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, operating the Flash business. We believe the Separation has better positioned us as a pure-play HDD company that can execute innovative technology and product development, capitalize on unique growth opportunities, extend our leadership position, operate more efficiently, and pursue capital allocation strategies to maximize long-term shareholder value. As part of the Separation, we initially retained 28.8 million shares of Sandisk common stock. In June 2025, we used 21.3 million shares of Sandisk common stock in a tax-free exchange to reduce approximately $800 million in principal amount of our term loan A-3 (the “Term Loan A-3”). In February 2026, we executed a series of transactions pursuant to which we used 5.8 million shares of Sandisk common stock to further reduce our debt and fully redeem our previously outstanding 4.75% senior unsecured notes due 2026, 2.85% senior notes due 2029, 3.10% senior notes due 2032 and Term Loan A-3 through a tax-free exchange. In the fourth quarter of 2026, we completed two separate equity-for-equity exchanges, which used our remaining 1.7 million shares of Sandisk common stock to acquire 4.8 million shares of our common stock, thereby reducing our share count. As of July 3, 2026, we no longer held shares of Sandisk common stock.

Capital Allocation Actions

In addition to the actions taken to monetize our initial retained interest in shares of Sandisk, as noted above, we have continued to take significant actions to deleverage our business, reduce dilution and return capital to our investors.

In February 2026, we converted all remaining outstanding shares of our Preferred Shares, in accordance with their terms, into 7 million shares of our common stock.

In June 2026, we fully settled the conversion obligation on $32 million in aggregate principal amount of our 2028 Convertible Notes that were tendered in March 2026 (the “Tendered Notes”). We used $32 million of cash to settle the principal amount of the Tendered Notes, as required by the indenture, and elected to use an additional $328 million of cash to settle the conversion premium instead of settling the premium with 0.8 million shares of our common stock.

Also in June 2026, we entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with certain holders of $858 million in aggregate principal of our 2028 Convertible Notes. Pursuant to these agreements, we fully settled the obligation for $860 million in cash (which reflected principal amount and a small inducement cost) and 21.3 million shares of our common stock.

During our previous fiscal year, our Board of Directors authorized the adoption of a quarterly cash dividend program. Under the cash dividend program, holders of our common stock will receive dividends when and as declared by our Board of Directors. During the year ended July 3, 2026, we paid aggregate cash dividends of $0.50 per share of our outstanding common stock, totaling $174 million, plus $2 million paid to holders of our then-outstanding Preferred Shares in accordance with their participation rights.

Subsequent to year-end, on August 4, 2026, our Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.15 per share of our common stock, which will be paid on September 17, 2026 to our shareholders of record as of the close of business on September 8, 2026.

During our previous fiscal year, our Board of Directors authorized a Share Repurchase Program for the repurchase of up to $2.0 billion of our common stock, and in February 2026, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $4.0 billion of our common stock. During the year ended July 3, 2026, we repurchased 14.7 million shares for a total cost of $2.59 billion. As of July 3, 2026, we had $3.26 billion available for repurchases under the Share Repurchase Program. Repurchases under the Share Repurchase Program may be made in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions and may be made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. We expect shares repurchased under the Share Repurchase Program to be funded primarily by operating cash flows.

During the year ended July 3, 2026, our repurchases under our Share Repurchase Program and our election to settle the conversion premium on the Tendered Notes in cash, instead of shares of common stock, aggregated $2.92 billion, which resulted in an effective impact to our outstanding shares of common stock of approximately 15.5 million shares.

Information regarding our indebtedness, including the principal repayment terms, interest rates, covenants and other key terms of our outstanding indebtedness, and additional information on the terms of our Preferred Shares is included in Part II, Item 8, Note 7, Debt, and Note 13, Shareholders’ Equity and Convertible Preferred Stock, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Results of Operations

Information provided herein is presented on a continuing operations basis to reflect the impact of the Separation. See Part II, Item 8, Note 4, Discontinued Operations, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding the Separation.

Summary Comparison of 2026, 2025 and 2024

The following table sets forth, for the periods presented, selected summary information from our Consolidated Statements of Operations by dollars and percentage of net revenue(1):

(in millions, except percentages)

(1) Percentages may not total due to rounding.

The following table sets forth, for the periods presented, summary information regarding our disaggregated revenue:

(in millions)

(1) Net revenue is attributed to geographic regions based on the ship-to location of the customer.

Net Revenue

Net revenue increased by 36% in 2026 compared to 2025, primarily driven by a 25% increase in exabytes sold and an 8% increase in ASPs per exabyte, both of which were driven by strong demand across all of our end markets.

Cloud revenue, representing 89% of total net revenue, increased by 38% in 2026 compared to 2025, driven by a 27% increase in exabytes sold and an 8% increase in ASPs per exabyte. The increase in exabytes sold was driven by strong demand for our high-capacity enterprise products. The increase in ASPs per exabyte was due to an improved pricing environment.

Client revenue, representing 6% of total net revenue, increased by 31% in 2026 compared to 2025, driven by a 3% increase in exabytes sold and a 26% increase in ASPs per exabyte. The increase in exabytes sold and ASPs per exabyte were driven by dynamics largely consistent with our other end markets.

Consumer revenue, representing 5% of total net revenue, increased by 13% in 2026 compared to 2025, driven by a 1% increase in exabytes sold and a 12% increase in ASPs per exabyte. The increase in exabytes sold and ASPs per exabyte were driven by dynamics largely consistent with our other end markets.

For 2026, 2025 and 2024, our top 10 customers accounted for 73%, 68% and 55%, respectively, of our net revenue. For 2026, three customers accounted for 16%, 15%, and 13%, respectively, of our net revenue. For 2025, three customers accounted for 17%, 12%, and 10%, respectively, of our net revenue. For 2024, no single customer accounted for 10% or more of our net revenue.

Consistent with standard industry practice, we have sales incentive and marketing programs that provide customers with price protection and other incentives or reimbursements that are recorded as a reduction to gross revenue. For 2026, 2025 and 2024, these programs represented 9%, 10% and 11%, respectively, of gross revenue. The amounts attributed to our sales incentive and marketing programs generally vary according to several factors, including industry conditions, list pricing strategies, channel mix and overall availability of products. Changes in future customer demand and market conditions may require us to adjust our incentive programs as a percentage of gross revenue.

Gross Profit and Gross Margin

Gross profit increased by $2.62 billion in 2026 compared to 2025. The increase was largely due to an increased volume of shipments, a better cost structure on our newer generation products, a mix shift towards higher capacity drives and improved pricing. Gross margin increased 10.1 percentage points in 2026 compared to 2025. The shift toward higher capacity drives has benefited gross margin through both a better cost structure and improved pricing.

Operating Expenses

R&D expense increased by $167 million or 17% in 2026 compared to 2025. This increase was attributable to $70 million of incremental product development related costs as we continue to execute on our innovative technology and product roadmap, along with $75 million of higher compensation-related costs, reflecting increased headcount and variable compensation aligned with our improved financial performance during the current year.

Selling, general and administrative expense decreased by $17 million or 3% in 2026 compared to 2025, as 2025 included higher costs associated with the final planning and execution of the Separation, including transitional personnel costs and higher outside service fees.

For information regarding Litigation matter, see Part II Item 8, Note 16, Legal Proceedings, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

For information regarding Business realignment charges (credits), see Part II Item 8, Note 10, Business Realignment Charges (Credits), of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Interest and Other Expense

Total interest and other income (expense), net changed by $6.66 billion or 553% in 2026 compared to 2025. The change primarily reflects a mark-to-market gain on our retained interest in Sandisk of $6.50 billion in the current year compared to a loss of $772 million in the prior year. The change also reflects $545 million of costs incurred in connection with our debt-for-equity exchange in the current year compared to $100 million in the prior year, $254 million of costs in connection with our equity-for-equity exchanges and $108 million of costs in connection with our convertible notes transactions in the current year, as well as lower interest expense of $192 million, which reflects the reduction in our debt levels.

Income Tax Expense (Benefit)

The following table sets forth Income tax information from our Consolidated Statements of Operations by dollar and effective tax rate:

(in millions, except percentages)

The primary drivers of the difference between the effective tax rate for 2026 and the U.S. Federal statutory rate of 21% are the relative mix of earnings and losses by jurisdiction, the deduction for Foreign-Derived Deduction Eligible Income (“FDDEI”) tax credits, and the gain on the retained interest in Sandisk being tax-free due to the Separation. These resulted in decreases to the Company’s effective tax rate below the U.S. Federal statutory rate. The Company’s income tax provision for 2026 includes Global Minimum Tax (“GMT”) for Malaysia as well as Thailand, a country for which the Company maintains a tax holiday.

The primary drivers of the difference between the effective tax rate for 2025 and the U.S. Federal statutory rate of 21% are the relative mix of earnings and losses by jurisdiction, the deduction for FDDEI, credits, and tax holidays in the Philippines and Thailand. These resulted in decreases to our effective tax rate below the U.S. Federal statutory rate for 2025. In anticipation of us operating as a standalone HDD business in a GMT environment, we executed an inter-entity asset transfer in conjunction with the Separation. This resulted in the recognition of one-time deferred tax benefits to continuing operations of $690 million. Our income before tax is reduced by a loss in our retained interest in Sandisk. This loss is not deductible for tax purposes and provides no income tax benefit to us.

For additional information regarding Income tax expense (benefit), see Part II, Item 8, Note 9, Income Taxes, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

A discussion of our results of operations for 2024, including a comparison of such results of operations to 2025, is included in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 27, 2025 filed with the SEC on August 14, 2025.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

The following table summarizes our statements of cash flows, which are presented on a consolidated basis. Cash flows related to discontinued operations have not been segregated. See Part II, Item 8, Note 4, Discontinued Operations, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional cash flow information related to our discontinued operations.

(in millions)

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by or used in operating activities primarily consists of net income or loss, adjusted for non-cash charges, plus or minus changes in operating assets and liabilities. The significant improvement in cash from operating activities was driven by the improved profitability in the business during 2026. Net cash used for changes in operating assets and liabilities was $658 million for 2026, as compared to $1.03 billion of net cash used for such changes for 2025. Net cash used for changes in operating assets and liabilities in 2026 primarily consisted of a $627 million decrease in taxes payable resulting from the timing of payments, a $541 million increase in accounts receivable driven by our growth in shipments to customers, and a $218 million increase in inventories as we ramped production in response to growing demand. These uses were partially offset by a $385 million increase in accounts payable as we ramped up purchases for production as well as more favorable payment terms with suppliers, a $144 million increase in accrued compensation driven by higher performance on our variable compensation plans, and $230 million from other assets and liabilities primarily driven by recognition and payment of other taxes. Net cash used for changes in operating assets and liabilities in 2025 primarily consisted of a $409 million increase in inventories as we ramped production in response to growing demand, a $366 million decrease in accrued expenses resulting from a significant reduction in our derivative hedging activities since the Separation, and a $905 million decrease in other assets and liabilities, driven by the timing of recognition and realization of income taxes receivable. These uses were partially offset by a $307 million increase in accounts payable as we ramped up purchases for production as well as more favorable payment terms with suppliers and a $348 million increase in taxes payable resulting from the timing of payments.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities in 2026 primarily consisted of $418 million in capital expenditures. Net cash provided by investing activities in 2025 primarily consisted of $401 million in net proceeds from our sale of a majority interest in one of our subsidiaries and $148 million in net notes receivable proceeds from Flash Ventures, partially offset by $412 million in capital expenditures.

Financing Activities

During 2026, net cash used in financing activities primarily consisted of $2.59 billion for share repurchases, $1.22 billion to settle a portion of our 2028 Convertible Notes, $1.66 billion for repayments of our other debt, $376 million for taxes paid on vested stock awards under employee stock plans, and $184 million for dividends on our common stock and Preferred Shares. These uses were partially offset by $1.95 billion of proceeds from a bridge loan and a drawdown on our Revolving Credit Facility, along with $64 million of proceeds from the issuance of stock under our employee stock plans. During 2025, net cash used in financing activities primarily consisted of $2.09 billion used for the partial repayment of our 4.75% senior unsecured notes due 2026, repayment of borrowings on the Revolving Credit Facility, and scheduled principal payments on our term loans; $1.37 billion of cash transferred to Sandisk at the Separation; $149 million in share repurchases; $113 million for taxes paid on vested stock awards; $73 million in debt issuance costs; and $44 million in dividends on our common stock and our Preferred Shares. These uses were partially offset by $2.00 billion of proceeds from drawing on the Sandisk credit facilities in connection with the Separation, $150 million from the Revolving Credit Facility, and $77 million from issuances of shares under our employee stock plans.

In August 2024, we filed a shelf registration statement (the “Shelf Registration Statement”) with the SEC that expires in August 2027. The Shelf Registration Statement allows us to offer and sell shares of common stock, preferred stock, warrants, and debt securities. We may use the Shelf Registration Statement or other capital sources, including other offerings of equity or debt securities or the credit markets, to satisfy future financing needs, including planned or unanticipated capital expenditures, investments, debt repayments or other expenses. Any such additional financing will be subject to market conditions and may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all.

Over the next five years, we expect our capital expenditures to average between 4% to 6% of our net revenue.

We believe our cash and cash equivalents and our available Revolving Credit Facility will be sufficient to meet our working capital, debt, dividend and capital expenditure needs and fund our share repurchases for at least the next twelve months and for the foreseeable future thereafter. We believe we can also access the various debt and equity capital markets to further supplement our liquidity position, if necessary. Our ability to sustain our working capital position is subject to a number of risks that we discuss in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

A total of $1.08 billion and $0.98 billion of our cash and cash equivalents were held outside of the U.S. as of July 3, 2026 and June 27, 2025, respectively. There are no material tax consequences that were not previously accrued for relating to the repatriation of this cash.

Our cash equivalents are primarily invested in money market funds that invest in U.S. Treasury securities and U.S. Government agency securities. In addition, from time to time, we also invest directly in certificates of deposit, asset-backed securities and corporate and municipal notes and bonds.

A discussion of our cash flows for 2024, including a comparison of such cash flows to 2025, is included in Part II, Item 7, Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources, included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 27, 2025 filed with the SEC on August 14, 2025.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

Other than certain indemnification provisions (see “Short- and Long-term Liquidity – Purchase Obligations and Other Commitments” below), we do not have any other material off-balance sheet financing arrangements or liabilities, guarantee contracts, retained or contingent interests in transferred assets, or any other obligation arising out of a material variable interest in an unconsolidated entity. We do not have any majority-owned subsidiaries that are not included in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Additionally, we do not have an interest in, or relationships with, any variable interest entities.

Short- and Long-term Liquidity

Material Cash Requirements

The following is a summary of our known material cash requirements, including those for capital expenditures, as of July 3, 2026. In addition, see the discussions further below related to our cash dividend program, share repurchase program, liability for unrecognized tax benefits, global minimum tax, foreign exchange contracts, litigation matters and indemnifications.

(in millions)

Debt

As described in “Key Developments – Capital Allocation Actions” above, we undertook several financing actions during 2026, to settle a substantial portion of our debt.

As described in Part II, Item 8, Note 7, Debt, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as of July 3, 2026, $710 million in aggregate principal amount of our 2028 Convertible Notes remained outstanding. The holders of the notes have had and continue to have the right to convert the notes through the calendar quarter ending September 30, 2026 based on the sale price conditional conversion feature in their terms. As of July 3, 2026, $343 million in aggregate principal amount of these notes had been tendered for conversion and we believe the remaining $367 million principal amount will likely be tendered in the next few months. We expect the settlement of these notes will require the use of an aggregate $710 million of cash to settle the principal amount with substantially all of any premium being settled in shares under the original terms of the notes.

In addition, as of July 3, 2026, we had $350 million outstanding on our Revolving Credit Facility maturing in January 2027. As of July 3, 2026, we had $900 million remaining available borrowing capacity under this facility, subject to customary conditions under the loan agreement. Additional information regarding our indebtedness, including information about availability under our Revolving Credit Facility, interest rates, covenants, collateral and other key terms of our outstanding indebtedness, is included in Part II, Item 8, Note 7, Debt, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We believe our existing cash and cash expected to be generated from our business will be adequate to meet our debt repayment requirements.

We may issue additional debt securities in the future that may be guaranteed by our 100% owned domestic subsidiary, Western Digital Technologies, Inc. (“Guarantor” and, together with Western Digital Corporation, the “Obligor Group”). Such guarantees may be full and unconditional, joint and several, on a secured or unsecured, subordinated or unsubordinated basis, and may be subject to certain customary guarantor release conditions. We conduct operations almost entirely through our subsidiaries. Accordingly, the Obligor Group’s cash flow and ability to service any guaranteed registered debt securities will depend on the earnings of our subsidiaries and the distribution of those earnings to the Obligor Group, including the earnings of the non-guarantor subsidiaries, whether by dividends, loans or otherwise. Holders of such guaranteed registered debt securities would have a direct claim only against the Obligor Group.

The following tables include summarized financial information for the Obligor Group. The financial information for the Obligor Group is presented on combined basis, excluding intercompany balances and transactions between the Company and the Guarantor, excluding net intercompany balances between the Obligor Group and non-guarantor subsidiaries, and excluding investments in and equity in the earnings of non-guarantor subsidiaries. The Obligor Group’s amounts due from, amounts due to, and transactions with non-guarantor subsidiaries have been presented in separate line items in the tables below.

The assets and liabilities of the Obligor Group include the following:

(in millions)

The operating results of the Obligor Group include the following:

(in millions)

Results for the Obligor Group include the following transactions with non-guarantor subsidiaries:

(in millions)

Purchase Obligations and Other Commitments

We incur material capital expenditures to design and manufacture our products that depend on advanced technologies and manufacturing techniques. Our commitments as of July 3, 2026, are included under “Purchase obligations and other commitments” in the table above. For 2027, we expect capital expenditures to be higher than 2026 as we are making the necessary investments in our heads and media operations, as well as in automation to increase our productivity.

In the normal course of business, we also enter into purchase orders with suppliers for the purchase of components used to manufacture our products. These purchase orders generally cover forecasted component supplies needed for production during the next quarter, are recorded as a liability upon receipt of the components, and generally may be changed or canceled at any time prior to shipment of the components. We also enter into long-term agreements with suppliers that contain fixed future commitments, which are contingent on certain conditions such as performance, quality and technology of the vendor’s components. These arrangements are included under “Purchase obligations and other commitments” in the table above.

Cash Dividend Program

On April 29, 2025, our Board of Directors authorized the adoption of a quarterly cash dividend program. See Note 13, Shareholders’ Equity and Convertible Preferred Stock, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption “Dividends to Common Shareholders” for further details.

Share Repurchase Program

Our Board of Directors has authorized a Share Repurchase Program and as of July 3, 2026, we had $3.26 billion available for repurchases under the program. See Note 13, Shareholders’ Equity and Convertible Preferred Stock, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption “Share Repurchase Program” for further details.

Liability for Unrecognized Tax Benefits

As of July 3, 2026, the liability for unrecognized tax benefits (excluding accrued interest and penalties) was approximately $610 million. Accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized in liabilities for uncertain tax positions and are recorded in the provision for income taxes. Accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as of July 3, 2026, were approximately $130 million. Of these amounts, approximately $585 million could result in potential cash payments, of which $349 million is reasonably expected to be paid within the next twelve months. The potential cash payments are expected to be netted with offsetting favorable tax receivables totaling $213 million, including a reduction to our mandatory deemed repatriation tax obligations related to the settlement for the years 2008 through 2015, for potential net cash payments of $136 million.

In connection with IRS settlements for the years 2008 through 2015, we expect to realize reductions to our mandatory deemed repatriation tax obligations and tax savings from interest deductions in future years aggregating to approximately $166 million. Of this amount, $65 million of savings is expected from the deductible interest paid with respect to years 2008 through 2015 that were previously classified as a deferred tax asset due to interest expense limitation rules have been utilized during the year ended July 3, 2026. See Part II, Item 8, Note 9, Income Taxes of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Global Minimum Tax

As of July 3, 2026, we have accrued GMT liabilities of $89 million that are not expected to be paid until the second quarter of 2028.

Foreign Exchange Contracts

We purchase foreign exchange contracts to hedge the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on certain underlying assets, liabilities and commitments for operating expenses and product costs denominated in foreign currencies. For a description of our current foreign exchange contract commitments, see Part II, Item 7A., Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk, included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Litigation Matters

For additional information on our litigation matters, see Part II, Item 8, Note 16, Legal Proceedings, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Indemnifications

In the ordinary course of business, we may provide indemnifications of varying scope and terms to customers, vendors, lessors, business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of our breach of agreements, products or services to be provided by us, environmental compliance, or from IP infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, we have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors and certain of our officers that will require us, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. We maintain director and officer insurance, which may cover certain liabilities arising from our obligation to indemnify our directors and officers in certain circumstances.

It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount under these indemnification agreements due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement. Such indemnification agreements may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. Historically, we have not incurred material costs as a result of obligations under these agreements.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

For a description of recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements, including the respective dates of adoption and expected effects on our results of operations and financial condition, see Part II, Item 8, Note 2, Recent Accounting Pronouncements, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We have prepared the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of the financial statements requires the use of judgments and estimates that affect the reported amounts of revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity. We have adopted accounting policies and practices that are generally accepted in the industry in which we operate. If these estimates differ significantly from actual results, the impact to the Consolidated Financial Statements may be material.

Revenue

For sales to OEMs, our methodology for estimating variable consideration is based on the amount of consideration expected to be earned based on the OEMs’ volume of purchases from us or other agreed-upon sales incentive programs. For sales to resellers, the methodology for estimating variable consideration is based on several factors including historical pricing information, current pricing trends and channel inventory levels. Estimating the impact of these factors requires significant judgment and the estimated amount of variable consideration can differ from the actual amount.

We provide distributors and retailers (collectively referred to as “resellers”) with limited price protection for inventories held by resellers at the time of published list price reductions. We also provide resellers and OEMs with other sales incentive programs. We record estimated variable consideration related to these items as a reduction to revenue at the time of revenue recognition. We use judgment in our assessment of variable consideration in contracts to be included in the transaction price. We use the expected value method to arrive at the amount of variable consideration. We constrain variable consideration until the likelihood of a significant revenue reversal is not probable and believe that the expected value method is the appropriate estimate of the amount of variable consideration based on the fact that we have a large number of contracts with similar characteristics.

Inventories

We periodically perform an analysis of potential excess and obsolete inventory based on assumptions, which includes changes in business and economic conditions, changes in technology and projected demand of our products. If in any period we anticipate a change in those assumptions to be less favorable than our previous estimates, additional inventory write-downs may be required and could materially and negatively impact our gross margin. Excess and obsolete reserves are released only when the underlying units are either sold or scrapped.

We value inventories at the lower of cost or net realizable value (“NRV”) with cost determined on a first-in, first-out basis. We record inventory write-downs of our inventory to the lower of cost or NRV or for obsolete or excess inventory based on assumptions, which requires significant judgment. The determination of NRV involves estimating the ASPs less any selling expenses of inventory based on market conditions and customer demand. To estimate the ASPs and selling expenses of inventory, we review historical sales, future demand, economic conditions, contract prices and other information.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which provides that deferred tax assets and liabilities be recognized for temporary differences between the financial reporting bases and the tax bases of our assets and liabilities and expected benefits of utilizing net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. If we conclude that it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized, we record a valuation allowance so that the net deferred tax asset is valued only to the amount that we conclude is more likely than not to be realized. The assessment of valuation allowances against our deferred tax assets requires estimations and significant judgment. We continue to assess and adjust our valuation allowance based on operating results and market conditions. We account for interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of the provision for income taxes.

We recognize liabilities for uncertain tax positions based on a two-step process. To the extent a tax position does not meet a more-likely-than-not level of certainty, no benefit is recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements. If a position meets the more-likely-than-not level of certainty, it is recognized in the Consolidated Financial Statements at the largest amount that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized on liabilities recorded for uncertain tax positions and are recorded in our provision for income taxes. The actual liability for unrealized tax benefits in any such contingency may be materially different from our estimates, which could result in the need to record additional liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits or potentially adjust previously recorded liabilities for unrealized tax benefits and materially affect our operating results.

Litigation and Contingencies

We disclose information regarding claims and contingencies where the likelihood of a material loss is probable or reasonably possible. If a loss contingency is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, we record an accrual for the loss. In such cases, there may be an exposure to potential loss in excess of the amount accrued. Where a loss is not probable but is reasonably possible or where a loss in excess of the amount accrued is reasonably possible, we disclose the matter and an estimate of the amount of the loss or range of possible losses for the claim if a reasonable estimate can be made, unless the amount of such reasonably possible losses is not material to our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The ability to predict the ultimate outcome of such matters involves significant judgments about the merits of the claim, applicable law, potential outcomes, estimates and inherent uncertainties. We engage relevant subject matter experts to assist us with our assessment of available information to reach conclusions on the likelihood and amount, or range, of potential loss. The actual outcome of such matters could differ materially from our estimates.

Disclosure About Foreign Currency Risk

Although the majority of our transactions are in U.S. dollars, some transactions are based in various foreign currencies. We purchase short-term foreign exchange contracts to hedge the impact of foreign currency exchange fluctuations on certain underlying assets, liabilities and commitments for product costs and operating expenses denominated in foreign currencies. The purpose of entering into these hedge transactions is to minimize the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on our results of operations. Substantially all of the contract maturity dates do not exceed 12 months. We do not purchase foreign exchange contracts for speculative or trading purposes. For additional information, see Part II, Item 8, Note 6, Fair Value Measurements and Investments, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We have performed sensitivity analyses for 2026 using a modeling technique that measures the change in the fair values arising from a hypothetical 10% adverse movement in the levels of foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar, with all other variables held constant. The analyses cover all of our foreign currency derivative contracts used to offset the underlying exposures. The foreign currency exchange rates used in performing the sensitivity analyses were based on market rates in effect at July 3, 2026. The sensitivity analyses indicated that a hypothetical 10% adverse movement in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar would result in a foreign exchange fair value loss of $74 million at July 3, 2026.

During 2026, 2025 and 2024, total net realized and unrealized transaction and foreign exchange contract currency gains and losses were not material to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Notwithstanding our efforts to mitigate some foreign exchange risks, we do not hedge all of our foreign currency exposures, and there can be no assurance that our mitigating activities related to the exposures that we hedge will adequately protect us against risks associated with foreign currency fluctuations.

Disclosure About Interest Rate Risk

Interest Rate Risk

We have historically held a balance of fixed and variable rate debt. As of July 3, 2026, our variable rate debt outstanding consisted of borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility, which are based on index rates as discussed further in Note 7, Debt, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. As of July 3, 2026, the outstanding balance on our Revolving Credit Facility was $350 million, and a 1% increase in the variable rate of interest would increase annual interest expense by $4 million.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As required by Rule 13a‑15(b) promulgated by the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.

Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10‑K, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a‑15(f) and 15d‑15(f) of the Exchange Act) to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that the transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and our directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Our management evaluated the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting using the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013). Based on this evaluation, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10‑K. KPMG LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, which audited the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, has issued an audit report on our internal control over financial reporting. See Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm herein.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended July 3, 2026, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Inherent Limitations of Effectiveness of Controls

Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, does not expect our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in a system of internal control over financial reporting, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.