Sandisk Emerges as S&P’s Top Performer Amid AI-Driven Demand Surge
Sandisk's stock has skyrocketed over 1,600% since its February 2025 IPO, cementing its position as the S&P 500's top performer this century. The digital storage giant surged 25% intraday on Friday after forecasting Q3 earnings of $12-$14 per share—obliterating Wall Street's $4.95 consensus estimate.
Analysts attribute the rally to explosive demand for NAND flash memory in AI data centers. Raymond James upgraded Sandisk to 'outperform' with a $725 target, while Susquehanna's bold $1,000 target implies another 66% upside from current $600 levels. 'This is a defining moment,' declared Susquehanna's Mehdi Hosseini, referencing the sector's rapid recovery from its 2022-2023 downturn.
Bank of America maintained its buy rating, raising the price target to $850 on expectations of sustained NAND pricing power. The AI infrastructure buildout continues to create clear winners—Sandisk's vertical integration gives it disproportionate leverage to this megatrend.