Prediction: This AI Stock Will Be the Nasdaq's Best Performer by the End of 2026
Key Points
Sandisk completed its spin-off from Western Digital in 2025 and never looked back.
The stock was up nearly 560% in 2025.
So far this year, Sandisk stock is up another 526%.
- 10 stocks we like better than Sandisk ›
Artificial intelligence (AI) stocks have been powering the stock market over the last several years. Ever since OpenAI and Microsoft unveiled ChatGPT in November 2022, investors have been pouring money into AI stocks because they see the massive potential.
Some of my favorite investments right now lie more with AI infrastructure than betting on which company can build the best large language model or capture the most cloud computing space. AI infrastructure stocks are appealing to me because they're a bet on the global AI market, which is expected to jump from $390.9 billion in 2025 to $3.5 trillion by 2033 -- a compound annual growth rate of more than 30%.
Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
While there are many great AI infrastructure stocks, there's one whose performance stands head and shoulders above the rest -- and it appears destined to be the best-performing stock in the Nasdaq this year.
Let's take a closer look at Sandisk (NASDAQ: SNDK).
Sandisk is on a two-year run
Massive stock moves aren't new for Sandisk. The stock jumped nearly 560% in 2025, following its spin-off from Western Digital, completed in February 2025. (Interestingly, Western Digital bought Sandisk back in 2016, but then turned around less than a decade later and spun it off again.)
However, that deal worked out great for Sandisk and its investors. The newly structured company includes both Sandisk and Western Digital's flash products and has expertise in data storage devices, edge computing, and the data center market.
Earnings for the fiscal third quarter of 2026 (ending April 3) showed revenue of $5.95 billion, up 251% from a year ago. Net income of $3.61 billion was an improvement of 287% from a year ago, when Sandisk reported losing $1.93 billion. And earnings per share of $23.03 was a huge turnaround from the $13.33 per share the company lost in Q3 2025.
Data center revenue is the fastest-growing segment, up 645% year over year to $1.46 billion. Edge computing also showed strength, rising 295% to $3.66 billion in revenue for the quarter.
Management issued guidance for Q4 2026 revenue of $7.75 billion to $8.25 billion, which, at the midpoint, would be an improvement of 320% from a year ago.
Sandisk is leading the way
Sandisk's year-to-date (YTD) performance is impressive. But what really gets my attention is the gain in stock price. At the time of this writing, Sandisk is up 526% YTD, by far outdistancing every other stock in the Nasdaq-100.
|
Nasdaq-100 Top Performers |
Year-to-Date Gain |
|---|---|
|
Sandisk |
526.4% |
|
Intel |
240.1% |
|
Seagate Technology |
198.1% |
|
Western Digital |
192.7% |
|
Micron Technology |
168.5% |
Data source: Slickcharts.
What's interesting to me is that all of these companies are fully involved in AI infrastructure and the global build-out -- Intel makes data center chips and AI accelerators, while Sandisk, Seagate, Western Digital, and Micron all work with storage capacity and memory.
AI infrastructure is arguably the biggest driver of the Nasdaq so far in 2026 -- and Sandisk looks to be the biggest winner of them all.
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Patrick Sanders has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intel, Micron Technology, Microsoft, and Western Digital. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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