S&P 500 Stocks Shine in 2026 with Significant Gains
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 05 2026
0mins
Should l Buy SNDK?
Source: Fool
- Sandisk's Strong Performance: Sandisk (SNDK) is the best-performing stock in 2026 so far, with a nearly 200% return, driven by a 64% sequential increase in data center revenue in Q2 2026, leading to an overall quarterly revenue of $3.02 billion, up 61% year-over-year, highlighting strong demand in the AI and high-capacity storage markets.
- Lumentum's Continued Growth: Lumentum Holdings (LITE) ranks second with a 118% year-to-date return, announcing plans to build a 240,000-square-foot facility in North Carolina for optical device manufacturing, with Q2 revenue of $665.5 million, up 65% year-over-year, and guidance for Q3 revenue expected to range between $780 million and $830 million.
- Ciena's Solid Performance: Ciena (CIEN) is also performing well in 2026, with shares up over 85%, reporting Q1 sales of $1.43 billion, a 33% increase year-over-year, as its adaptive networking systems support AI workloads and meet growing bandwidth demands, with the CEO noting unprecedented demand.
- Seagate's Optimistic Outlook: Seagate Technology (STX) has seen its stock rise over 50%, with Q2 revenue of $2.83 billion, up 22% year-over-year, and data center revenue increasing 31% to $2.2 billion, with management projecting Q3 2026 revenue to reach $2.9 billion, a 34% year-over-year increase, reflecting strong investment trends in AI data centers.
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Analyst Views on SNDK
Wall Street analysts forecast SNDK stock price to fall
14 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 919.470
Low
220.00
Averages
283.69
High
410.00
Current: 919.470
Low
220.00
Averages
283.69
High
410.00
About SNDK
SanDisk Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and provider of data storage devices and solutions based on NAND flash technology and has consumer brands and franchises globally. The Company's solutions include a range of solid state drives (SSDs) embedded products, removable cards, universal serial bus (USB) drives, and wafers and components. Its broad portfolio of technology and products addresses multiple end markets of Datacenter, Edge and Consumer. Its Datacenter end market is composed primarily of products for public or private cloud environments and enterprise customers. The Company, through the Edge end market, provides original equipment manufacturer and channel customers a broad array of high-performance flash solutions across personal computer, mobile, gaming, automotive, virtual reality headsets, at-home entertainment, and industrial spaces. The Company serves the Consumer end market with a broad range of retail and other end-user products.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
SanDisk's NAND Pricing Trends Remain Bullish
- Price Increase Expectations: According to a report by TrendForce, NAND contract prices are expected to rise by 70% to 75% sequentially in Q2 2026, indicating strong market demand, particularly from data centers and AI, which further solidifies SanDisk's market position.
- Analyst Optimism: BofA raised its price target for SanDisk from $900 to $1,080, implying an approximately 18% upside from current levels, reflecting confidence in the company's future growth, despite its stock being down nearly 2% in Friday's opening trade.
- Inclusion in Nasdaq 100: SanDisk is set to join the Nasdaq 100 index on April 20, 2026, replacing Atlassian Corp., which will lead to its stock being added to more funds, potentially triggering additional institutional buying and further driving up its stock price.
- Retail Trader Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around SanDisk trended in the 'extremely bullish' territory, with extremely high message volumes, indicating that investors are confident about its prospects ahead of the Nasdaq 100 inclusion, further supporting its stock price upside potential.
See More
Sandisk Stock Soars 559% in 2025, Continues Uptrend in 2026
- Outstanding Stock Performance: Sandisk's stock surged 559% in 2025, making it the top performer in the S&P 500, indicating strong growth potential in the flash memory market.
- Significant Revenue Growth: In Q2 2026, Sandisk's revenue rose 31% year-over-year to over $3 billion, with data center revenue increasing by 64%, and the company anticipates Q3 revenue exceeding $4 billion, showcasing its growing competitiveness.
- Market Competition Landscape: Although Sandisk still trails Micron in market share and market capitalization, the exponential growth in data center storage demand positions Sandisk for a tight race with Micron in the future, attracting more investor interest.
- Analysts Optimistic Outlook: While Sandisk did not make the Motley Fool's list of top stocks, analysts remain bullish on its future performance, believing it holds investment value amid rising AI and data storage demands.
See More
Sandisk's Spectacular Performance Post-Spin-Off
- Independent Listing Performance: Sandisk spun off from Western Digital and returned to the market in 2025, becoming the top performer in the S&P 500 with a remarkable 559% stock price increase, reflecting strong market demand and investor confidence.
- Significant Revenue Growth: In Q2 2026, Sandisk's revenue rose 31% year-over-year to over $3 billion, exceeding guidance, with data center revenue surging 64%, indicating a strong position in the rapidly growing storage market.
- Market Competition Landscape: Although Sandisk still trails Micron in market share and market capitalization, its robust growth momentum and responsiveness to data center storage demand suggest potential to narrow the gap with competitors.
- Analyst Optimism: With the exponential growth in data center storage demand, analysts are optimistic about Sandisk's prospects, believing the company has the potential to compete fiercely with larger players like Micron in the future.
See More
Sandisk's 2000% Stock Surge Driven by AI Demand
- Stock Surge: Sandisk's stock has skyrocketed by 2000% since August last year, driven by surging demand for computer memory chips, particularly from rapidly growing AI data centers, yet the current valuation remains reasonable at just over 20 times the projected earnings of $42.57 per share.
- Market Volatility Risk: Despite Sandisk's impressive stock performance, the fluctuating sentiment surrounding AI-related stocks could lead to a swift price correction, prompting investors to remain cautious of short-term volatility that may impact long-term returns.
- Future Profit Expectations: Analysts project that per-share profits will hold near $105.63 by 2028, indicating that while short-term pricing pressures may arise, Sandisk still possesses significant profit potential, with its current valuation being less than 10 times the long-term profit estimates.
- Investment Strategy Advice: Although a pullback may occur in the short term, investors should focus on the long-term demand in the AI market, as Sandisk's position in the memory chip sector is likely to support future growth, suggesting a buy-in after the market cools down.
See More
Sandisk Shares Surge 20-Fold Amid AI Demand
- Stock Surge: Sandisk's shares have skyrocketed 20-fold in less than a year, primarily driven by surging demand for computer memory from AI data centers, and while this short-term situation may self-correct, it is likely to stabilize at levels that remain highly profitable for the company.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Sandisk's projected earnings per share are expected to more than double from this year's $42.57, and despite the current valuation exceeding 20 times earnings, analysts foresee profits holding near $105.63 by 2028, indicating significant long-term value potential.
- Market Volatility Risks: Despite Sandisk's impressive stock performance, the uncertainty in pricing AI-related stocks may lead to short-term pullbacks, necessitating caution from investors, especially as the stock approaches its historical highs.
- Cautious Investment Advice: While Sandisk's outlook in the AI sector appears promising, analysts recommend being wary of potential short-term corrections, suggesting that investors should exercise caution when considering purchases, particularly if other AI stocks experience similar adjustments.
See More
Allbirds Transitions to AI Company Amid Stock Volatility
- Stock Volatility: Allbirds (BIRD) stock experienced extreme fluctuations following its announcement of a pivot to an AI company, soaring nearly 600% on Wednesday before plummeting 35% on Thursday, ultimately closing the week with a 350% gain, indicating high market interest and uncertainty regarding its new strategy.
- Significant Market Cap Changes: The company's market cap surged from $21.7 million to a peak of $159 million within a week, reflecting strong investor reactions to its transformation, although it settled at $94 million by Friday's close, still demonstrating expectations for its future potential.
- Funding Plans and Strategic Goals: Allbirds plans to rebrand as NewBird AI and aims to raise $50 million by the second quarter of 2026 to support the acquisition of high-performance AI computing hardware and long-term leasing services, targeting a gap in the market for AI computing resources.
- Market Demand and Competitive Landscape: The rapid growth in AI development has created unprecedented demand for high-performance computing, and Allbirds' pivot is strategically positioned to address this trend, despite facing fierce competition from companies like Nvidia and Meta, highlighting its strategic positioning in an emerging market.
See More
SanDisk's NAND Pricing Trends Remain Bullish
- Price Increase Expectations: According to a report by TrendForce, NAND contract prices are expected to rise by 70% to 75% sequentially in Q2 2026, indicating strong market demand, particularly from data centers and AI, which further solidifies SanDisk's market position.
- Analyst Optimism: BofA raised its price target for SanDisk from $900 to $1,080, implying an approximately 18% upside from current levels, reflecting confidence in the company's future growth, despite its stock being down nearly 2% in Friday's opening trade.
- Inclusion in Nasdaq 100: SanDisk is set to join the Nasdaq 100 index on April 20, 2026, replacing Atlassian Corp., which will lead to its stock being added to more funds, potentially triggering additional institutional buying and further driving up its stock price.
- Retail Trader Sentiment: Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around SanDisk trended in the 'extremely bullish' territory, with extremely high message volumes, indicating that investors are confident about its prospects ahead of the Nasdaq 100 inclusion, further supporting its stock price upside potential.
See More
Sandisk Stock Soars 559% in 2025, Continues Uptrend in 2026
- Outstanding Stock Performance: Sandisk's stock surged 559% in 2025, making it the top performer in the S&P 500, indicating strong growth potential in the flash memory market.
- Significant Revenue Growth: In Q2 2026, Sandisk's revenue rose 31% year-over-year to over $3 billion, with data center revenue increasing by 64%, and the company anticipates Q3 revenue exceeding $4 billion, showcasing its growing competitiveness.
- Market Competition Landscape: Although Sandisk still trails Micron in market share and market capitalization, the exponential growth in data center storage demand positions Sandisk for a tight race with Micron in the future, attracting more investor interest.
- Analysts Optimistic Outlook: While Sandisk did not make the Motley Fool's list of top stocks, analysts remain bullish on its future performance, believing it holds investment value amid rising AI and data storage demands.
See More
Sandisk's Spectacular Performance Post-Spin-Off
- Independent Listing Performance: Sandisk spun off from Western Digital and returned to the market in 2025, becoming the top performer in the S&P 500 with a remarkable 559% stock price increase, reflecting strong market demand and investor confidence.
- Significant Revenue Growth: In Q2 2026, Sandisk's revenue rose 31% year-over-year to over $3 billion, exceeding guidance, with data center revenue surging 64%, indicating a strong position in the rapidly growing storage market.
- Market Competition Landscape: Although Sandisk still trails Micron in market share and market capitalization, its robust growth momentum and responsiveness to data center storage demand suggest potential to narrow the gap with competitors.
- Analyst Optimism: With the exponential growth in data center storage demand, analysts are optimistic about Sandisk's prospects, believing the company has the potential to compete fiercely with larger players like Micron in the future.
See More
Sandisk's 2000% Stock Surge Driven by AI Demand
- Stock Surge: Sandisk's stock has skyrocketed by 2000% since August last year, driven by surging demand for computer memory chips, particularly from rapidly growing AI data centers, yet the current valuation remains reasonable at just over 20 times the projected earnings of $42.57 per share.
- Market Volatility Risk: Despite Sandisk's impressive stock performance, the fluctuating sentiment surrounding AI-related stocks could lead to a swift price correction, prompting investors to remain cautious of short-term volatility that may impact long-term returns.
- Future Profit Expectations: Analysts project that per-share profits will hold near $105.63 by 2028, indicating that while short-term pricing pressures may arise, Sandisk still possesses significant profit potential, with its current valuation being less than 10 times the long-term profit estimates.
- Investment Strategy Advice: Although a pullback may occur in the short term, investors should focus on the long-term demand in the AI market, as Sandisk's position in the memory chip sector is likely to support future growth, suggesting a buy-in after the market cools down.
See More
Sandisk Shares Surge 20-Fold Amid AI Demand
- Stock Surge: Sandisk's shares have skyrocketed 20-fold in less than a year, primarily driven by surging demand for computer memory from AI data centers, and while this short-term situation may self-correct, it is likely to stabilize at levels that remain highly profitable for the company.
- Optimistic Earnings Outlook: Sandisk's projected earnings per share are expected to more than double from this year's $42.57, and despite the current valuation exceeding 20 times earnings, analysts foresee profits holding near $105.63 by 2028, indicating significant long-term value potential.
- Market Volatility Risks: Despite Sandisk's impressive stock performance, the uncertainty in pricing AI-related stocks may lead to short-term pullbacks, necessitating caution from investors, especially as the stock approaches its historical highs.
- Cautious Investment Advice: While Sandisk's outlook in the AI sector appears promising, analysts recommend being wary of potential short-term corrections, suggesting that investors should exercise caution when considering purchases, particularly if other AI stocks experience similar adjustments.
See More
Allbirds Transitions to AI Company Amid Stock Volatility
- Stock Volatility: Allbirds (BIRD) stock experienced extreme fluctuations following its announcement of a pivot to an AI company, soaring nearly 600% on Wednesday before plummeting 35% on Thursday, ultimately closing the week with a 350% gain, indicating high market interest and uncertainty regarding its new strategy.
- Significant Market Cap Changes: The company's market cap surged from $21.7 million to a peak of $159 million within a week, reflecting strong investor reactions to its transformation, although it settled at $94 million by Friday's close, still demonstrating expectations for its future potential.
- Funding Plans and Strategic Goals: Allbirds plans to rebrand as NewBird AI and aims to raise $50 million by the second quarter of 2026 to support the acquisition of high-performance AI computing hardware and long-term leasing services, targeting a gap in the market for AI computing resources.
- Market Demand and Competitive Landscape: The rapid growth in AI development has created unprecedented demand for high-performance computing, and Allbirds' pivot is strategically positioned to address this trend, despite facing fierce competition from companies like Nvidia and Meta, highlighting its strategic positioning in an emerging market.
See More
