Founder at Stock Spin-off Investing, Stock Spin-Off Investing

Richard Howe

Founder at Stock Spin-off Investing

Stock Spin-Off Investing

Generate attractive returns by taking advantage of inefficiencies in the stock spin-off market.

Stock Spin-offs

Event-Driven

<ul><li>News flow was relatively quiet this week, but earnings season kicks off next week and things will pick up quickly.</li><li>Before we get into the regular update, one chart caught my eye that I want to flag.</li><li>Earnings growth is what drives markets over the long term, and the S&amp;P 500 is still seeing forward earnings estimates revised higher.</li></ul>

News flow was relatively quiet this week, but earnings season kicks off next week and things will pick up quickly.Before we get into the regular update, one chart caught my eye that I want to flag.Earnings growth is what drives markets over the long term, and the S&amp;P 500 is still seeing forward earnings estimates revised higher.

Independent research on the U.S. markets, Baptista Research

Baptista Research

Independent research on the U.S. markets

Baptista Research is an independent financial research house focused on the U.S. markets. We provide equity research as well as credit research reports on the top-listed U.S. companies with most of our focus on technology, consumer goods and services, automobiles, industrials, oil and gas, pharma, and healthcare. Our research has served more than 3000 institutional investors including mutual funds, hedge funds, banks, family offices, and various buy-side firms. We operate a research subscription service where institutions, as well as retail investors, can have priority access to all our research. We also have a wide distribution of our research reports across some of the top global financial platforms. Apart from equity research and credit research, we also provide advisory services with respect to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity/ venture capital fundraising, valuation reports, and investment management services for corporates.
Baptista Research is owned and managed by Ishan Majumdar, an ex-Venture Capitalist/ Investment Banker, a Chartered Accountant, and a Masters’ degree holder in Management from HEC Paris. Ishan has nearly a decade of experience in Mergers and Acquisitions, Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs), Venture Capital Investing, Corporate Strategy, and Valuation in front-office roles at the likes of BNP Paribas CIB, Credit Agricole CIB, Groupe Danone, and TIW Private Equity. He has worked on and closed multiple acquisition deals, leveraged buyouts, and start-up investment transactions.

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul><li>Western Digital has moved decisively to sell the bulk of its remaining Sandisk shares, offering approximately 5.8 million shares at $545 per share for total proceeds of roughly $3.17 billion.</li><li>The transaction comes nearly a year after the February 2025 spin-off and just days before a critical tax-related deadline, underscoring a carefully timed capital allocation decision rather than a reactionary exit.</li><li>Management has indicated that the sale will be executed via a debt-for-equity exchange with major financial institutions, with proceeds earmarked for debt reduction.</li></ul>

Western Digital has moved decisively to sell the bulk of its remaining Sandisk shares, offering approximately 5.8 million shares at $545 per share for total proceeds of roughly $3.17 billion.The transaction comes nearly a year after the February 2025 spin-off and just days before a critical tax-related deadline, underscoring a carefully timed capital allocation decision rather than a reactionary exit.Management has indicated that the sale will be executed via a debt-for-equity exchange with major financial institutions, with proceeds earmarked for debt reduction.

Western Digital Offloads Sandisk At Peak Valuations—Strategic Masterstroke Or Lost Upside?

<ul><li>Western Digital Corporation's second-quarter fiscal 2026 results present a complex landscape of achievements and challenges as the company addresses the rapidly evolving demands of AI and cloud computing.</li><li>With AI and cloud computing serving as a major drivers of growth, the company continues to focus on developing higher-density storage solutions to meet the needs of its hyperscale customers.</li><li>The company's commitment to increasing areal density through advancements in technologies such as Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and energy-assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR), as well as the upshift to UltraSMR technology, highlights its strategy for staying competitive in this landscape.</li></ul>

Western Digital Corporation's second-quarter fiscal 2026 results present a complex landscape of achievements and challenges as the company addresses the rapidly evolving demands of AI and cloud computing.With AI and cloud computing serving as a major drivers of growth, the company continues to focus on developing higher-density storage solutions to meet the needs of its hyperscale customers.The company's commitment to increasing areal density through advancements in technologies such as Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and energy-assisted Perpendicular Magnetic Recording (ePMR), as well as the upshift to UltraSMR technology, highlights its strategy for staying competitive in this landscape.

Western Digital’s Hyperscale Lock-In Looks Real—How Durable Is Demand Through 2028?

CEO / Founder, Crea8

Kim-Hwa Lim

CEO / Founder

Make an Impact

Crea8

Crea8 blends AI-driven precision, big data scalability, and rigorous quantitative frameworks with seasoned human insight. By extracting actionable intelligence from vast global datasets, we eliminate emotional bias and deliver optimal risk-adjusted returns. Our hybrid approach uncovers hidden market efficiencies and ensures your capital is dynamically positioned across markets.

Cross Asset Strategy

<ul><li>The strategy seeks to invest in companies with superior sustainability features/initiatives.</li><li>These companies may be: 1) screened by avoiding issuers with negative ESG; 2) uplifted due to their commitment to improve ESG</li><li>3) included as their business models may not only benefit from but also may drive long-term sustainability outcomes; and 4) committed to generating positive, measurable and additional sustainability outcomes.</li></ul>

The strategy seeks to invest in companies with superior sustainability features/initiatives.These companies may be: 1) screened by avoiding issuers with negative ESG; 2) uplifted due to their commitment to improve ESG3) included as their business models may not only benefit from but also may drive long-term sustainability outcomes; and 4) committed to generating positive, measurable and additional sustainability outcomes.

Global Sustainability Portfolio (18-Aug-2026)

<ul>
<li>The strategy seeks to invest in themes that are driving returns globally.</li>
<li>By adopting a portfolio of stocks instead of individual stocks, the strategy is diversified across countries and industries; and optimised with respect to their expected risks and returns.</li>
<li>Previous portfolio returned 16.2% vs. MSCI World (4.2%) – outperformed the benchmark by 12%.</li>
</ul>


The strategy seeks to invest in themes that are driving returns globally.
By adopting a portfolio of stocks instead of individual stocks, the strategy is diversified across countries and industries; and optimised with respect to their expected risks and returns.
Previous portfolio returned 16.2% vs. MSCI World (4.2%) – outperformed the benchmark by 12%.


United States

Western Digital Corporation is a global provider of solutions for the collection, storage, management, protection and use of digital content, including audio and video. The Company's products include hard drives, solid-state drives, and home entertainment and networking products.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

Western Digital (WDC US)

Weekly Update (WDC, IDT, TRAX)

News flow was relatively quiet this week, but earnings season kicks off next week and things will pick up quickly. Before we get into the regular...

Richard Howe

Western Digital Offloads Sandisk At Peak Valuations—Strategic Masterstroke Or Lost Upside?

Western Digital has moved decisively to sell the bulk of its remaining Sandisk shares, offering approximately 5.8 million shares at $545 per share...

Baptista Research

Western Digital’s Hyperscale Lock-In Looks Real—How Durable Is Demand Through 2028?

Western Digital Corporation's second-quarter fiscal 2026 results present a complex landscape of achievements and challenges as the company...

Baptista Research

Global Sustainability Portfolio (18-Aug-2026)

The strategy seeks to invest in companies with superior sustainability features/initiatives. These companies may be: 1) screened by avoiding...

Crea8

Global Thematic Portfolio (18-Aug-2026)

The strategy seeks to invest in themes that are driving returns globally. By adopting a portfolio of stocks instead of individual stocks, the...

Crea8

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)