The Nasdaq’s gain expanded to 1%, with the storage sector leading the rally, and Western Digital surged 7.4%.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. is preparing to deploy the aircraft carrier USS Washington to the Middle East to replace the USS Lincoln under a previously scheduled rotation plan. The USS Lincoln has been on a lengthy deployment with very few port calls, sparking concerns among U.S. lawmakers about living conditions aboard the vessel. The USS Lincoln began its scheduled deployment last November and was redeployed to the Middle East in January this year ahead of the launch of military operations against Iran. The carrier and its embarked aircraft played a key role in the U.S. military's Operation Epic Wrath airstrikes, and later took part in the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. U.S. lawmakers stated that the intense operational tempo and stress from the prolonged deployment have overwhelmed the crew, and they are pressing the Pentagon to provide more information about living conditions and mental health issues aboard the ship. U.S. media outlet MS Now reported earlier this month that the USS Lincoln's crew has been facing harsh conditions including food shortages and depleted supplies of items like toothpaste and soap. Lawmakers expressed concern over reports that the crew is exhausted and suffering from deteriorating mental health due to the lack of port calls for rest and recuperation.

A senior executive of SanDisk (SNDK.O) stated that Meta Platforms (META.O) will join the relevant group to co-develop the open standard for High Bandwidth Flash (HBF).

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: The United States can maintain the blockade against Iran for as long as needed.

AMD plans to raise up to $5 billion through bond issuance, and has filed a preliminary prospectus supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today for the offering of multi-series senior bonds. The bonds will constitute AMD’s senior unsecured debt and will not be guaranteed by any of its subsidiaries. The underwriters include Barclays, BofA Securities, Citigroup, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, and Franklin Brothers Securities.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. will deploy a new aircraft carrier to the Middle East to replace the USS Lincoln.

SanDisk aims to achieve mid-to-high double-digit revenue growth in fiscal years 2028 through 2030. It projects a non-GAAP gross margin of approximately 80% and a non-GAAP operating margin of around 75% for the same period. The company plans to return excess cash to shareholders after investing in its business, with all surplus cash earmarked for shareholder returns. According to market data from BIT (bit.com), SanDisk’s intraday gain widened to 6.3%.