Sandisk’s stock is rising: Why one analyst says AI could help it reach new heights

A Rosenblatt analyst points to a shift in how NAND memory is being valued. As AI models grow larger and inference workloads expand, the analyst argues that NAND is moving away from its traditional status as a commodity component and becoming a more critical part of AI infrastructure. That reframing helps explain why Sandisk's stock is drawing attention.

The market relevance lies in the demand story. Commodity memory has historically been a cyclical business, with prices driven largely by supply gluts and shortages. If AI-related storage needs are structurally different—more persistent and less easily substituted—that could change how investors think about the durability of demand for NAND producers.

What to watch: whether the AI-driven demand thesis shows up in actual order patterns and pricing rather than only in analyst projections. Also worth monitoring is supply discipline across memory makers, since capacity additions can quickly offset demand gains. For now, the analyst's view is a thesis about re-rating, not a confirmed trend.