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Western Digital (NAS:WDC) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Western Digital Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Western Digital Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Western Digital's Forward PE Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Western Digital Forward PE Ratio Chart
Western Digital Annual Data
Trend
2016-06
2017-06
2018-06
2019-06
2020-06
2021-06
2022-06
2023-06
2024-06
2025-06
Forward PE Ratio
8.91
8.36
6.42
11.67
6.61
7.88
5.02
84.03
12.06
11.61
Western Digital Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-06
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
9.14
7.61
8.91
12.03
10.58
9.54
8.36
7.04
6.10
7.20
6.42
5.18
4.54
7.80
11.67
15.92
21.46
6.04
6.61
9.23
20.37
11.07
7.88
5.87
7.41
5.38
5.02
11.25
81.97
13.39
84.03
13.99
12.06
8.50
8.25
7.76
11.61
16.25
23.62
20.11
WDC vs STX, ANET, DELL: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Computer Hardware subindustry, Western Digital's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Western Digital Forward PE Ratio vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, Western Digital's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Western Digital's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Western Digital (WDC) has a Forward PE Ratio of 27.97 as of Jul. 15, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Western Digital and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Western Digital ranks #655 out of 1018 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 64.3%.
Is Western Digital's Forward PE Ratio too high?
Western Digital's current Forward PE Ratio is 27.97. The Hardware industry median Forward PE Ratio is 22.39. Western Digital's value of 27.97 is 24.9% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Western Digital ranks #655 out of 1018 companies in the Hardware industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Western Digital has a GF Score™ of 60/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Western Digital's Forward PE Ratio compare to STX and ANET?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, Western Digital ranks #655 out of 1018 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places Western Digital in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 22.39. Western Digital's value of 27.97 is 24.9% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Hardware company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Hardware companies is 22.39, based on 1,018 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Western Digital's current Forward PE Ratio of 27.97 is 24.9% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Western Digital and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 22.39 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Western Digital's current Forward PE Ratio is 27.97. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Western Digital stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Western Digital (WDC) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $88.06, compared to a current price of $511.86 — trading 481.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 27.97 and 24.9% above the Hardware industry median of 22.39. Western Digital's overall GF Score™ is 60/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Western Digital (WDC), the current Forward PE Ratio is 27.97 as of Jul. 15, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Western Digital (WDC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Western Digital stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $511.86 is trading 481.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $88.06.
GuruFocus considers Western Digital to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for WDC:
Forward PE Ratio: 27.97
GF Value™: $88.06 vs. price of $511.86 (481.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 24.9% above the Hardware median (#655 of 1018)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WDC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Western Digital is a leading vertically integrated supplier of hard disk drives. The HDD market is a practical duopoly, with Western Digital and Seagate being the two largest players. Western Digital designs and manufactures its HDDs, with much of the manufacturing and workforce located in Asia. The primary consumers of HDDs are data centers.
60GF Score
Get the complete analysis for WDC
Forward PE Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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