Western Digital reported a 55% year-on-year rise in revenue to $4.381 billion and increased its quarterly cash dividend to $0.175 a share. The 22 October 2026 announcement covers the fiscal first quarter of 2027, which ended on 2 October 2026—not a calendar quarter ending in September.
Reported diluted earnings per share were $4.63, while the company’s adjusted, non-GAAP measure was $4.64. For readers comparing storage-sector earnings, these are different accounting bases even when the current figures are close. All financial amounts below are in US dollars.
The quarter in figures
| Measure | Reported result | Comparison or basis | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4.381 billion | Up 55% year on year; up 17% from the prior fiscal quarter | Results table |
| Net income, GAAP | $1.779 billion | $1.182 billion a year earlier | Income statement |
| Diluted EPS, GAAP | $4.63 | $3.07 a year earlier | Results and reconciliation |
| Diluted EPS, non-GAAP | $4.64 | $1.78 a year earlier; not reported EPS | Results and reconciliation |
| Operating cash flow / free cash flow | $1.604bn / $1.377bn | Free cash flow deducts $227m of net property/equipment purchases | Cash-flow reconciliation |
Cash flow and accounting are not the same thing
The free-cash-flow calculation is $1.604 billion of operating cash flow minus $0.227 billion of net capital purchases, giving $1.377 billion. It is a non-GAAP cash measure, not another label for net profit.
The adjustments include stock compensation, business realignment, tax effects and other specified items. Historical comparisons also need care: the preceding quarter contained a gain on the retained Sandisk interest. Its $8.21 reported EPS was therefore not equivalent to its $3.56 adjusted EPS, as the prior official quarterly release shows.
Dividend: declared, not already paid
| Term | Officially disclosed position | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Action and amount | Declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.175 per common share; approximately 17% above the prior $0.15 | Dividend announcement |
| Record date | Close of business on 4 December 2026 | Dividend terms |
| Payment date | 17 December 2026; future payment, not completed distribution | Dividend terms |
| Eligibility / ex-date | Common stockholders of record on the stated date; a separate ex-dividend date is not stated in the reviewed release | Dividend terms |
The outlook remains a forecast
Management’s fiscal second-quarter outlook is revenue of $5.1 billion, plus or minus $100 million, and adjusted diluted EPS of $5.80, plus or minus $0.20. The company does not supply a fully comparable GAAP forecast because some adjustment items cannot be quantified reliably in advance. These ranges are not completed sales or assured earnings.
For another source-linked example of separating accounting measures, see CapKet’s Roper earnings report.
Official sources and checks
Official current release and Companion issuer record. Both are issuer publications, not independent corroboration. Checked source observations: 2026-10-23T05:01:09.662Z; 2026-10-23T05:01:12.661Z. AI-assisted primary-document review; no independent human editorial approval or investment advice is claimed.
Recorded source observation: . This is a source-check timestamp, not a market quote or a new article update.