Seagate Technology Holdings PLC (NYSE: STX) experienced a notable surge in its stock price on Wednesday after unveiling a quarterly earnings report that exceeded market forecasts and issuing a favorable outlook for upcoming periods. The company’s strong financial performance has prompted some equity analysts to raise their price targets to as high as $500 per share.
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst C.J. Muse elevated the firm’s price target from $400 to $500, sustaining an Overweight rating. Muse highlighted that Seagate achieved incremental gross margins close to 70% in the December quarter and projected an implied gross margin of at least 44%. He emphasized multiple factors contributing to margin expansion, including like-for-like pricing increases due to the constrained supply-demand conditions in the hard disk drive sector, premium pricing on products employing heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology, and targeted cost reductions of approximately 10% annually.
According to Cantor Fitzgerald, Seagate’s calendar year 2026 exabyte storage capacity is fully allocated. The company is currently building backlog for calendar year 2027, while discussions with customers are already advancing into 2028, reflecting long-term demand visibility.
Similarly, Rosenblatt Securities analyst Kevin Cassidy updated the price target from $370 to $500 and maintained a Buy rating. Cassidy increased the valuation multiple to 25 times from 20 times non-GAAP earnings per share, citing robust gross margins exceeding 45% and operating margins above 35%. He praised the market conditions for hard disk drives as “Goldilocks,” providing consistent gains through rising revenue, expanding profitability, and stronger earnings momentum.
Seagate reported earnings per share of $3.11 for the quarter, surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of $2.81. Quarterly revenue reached $2.83 billion, outpacing the projected $2.73 billion and representing an increase from $2.33 billion in the corresponding period a year earlier.
Dave Mosley, Seagate’s CEO, commented that the December quarter results set new records for gross margin, operating margin, and non-GAAP earnings per share. He attributed this achievement to effective operational execution, the sustained demand from data center customers, and the accelerating adoption of the company's HAMR-based Mozaic product line.
During the earnings call, Mosley revealed that Seagate's nearline storage capacity is booked out through calendar 2026, with order intake for the first half of 2027 anticipated in the coming months. He also noted that existing long-term contracts with major cloud service providers ensure strong demand visibility into 2027. Additionally, ongoing discussions for calendar year 2028 indicate that hyperscale customers remain focused on securing supply chains to accommodate their continued growth in storage needs.
Looking ahead, Seagate expects third quarter adjusted earnings per share to range between $3.20 and $3.60, which would exceed analyst estimates of $2.96. The company also anticipates revenue between $2.8 billion and $3 billion, compared to the $2.77 billion analysts forecast.
At the time of reporting Wednesday, Seagate’s shares were trading up 20.10% at $446.50, marking a new 52-week high according to market data. The strong operational metrics and positive outlook have substantially bolstered investor sentiment around the hard disk drive manufacturer.