Sandisk CEO David Goeckeler: We've seen an explosion in the market around inference

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  August 14, 2026 at 15:46  |  4:03  |  CNBC
Speakers
David Goeckeler — CEO and Chairman, SanDisk

Summary

SanDisk CEO David Goeckeler discusses the company's investor day, its AI-driven memory demand, and its new business model strategy. He argues AI has shifted toward inference, which requires SanDisk's flash/memory products, and that the company has repositioned its portfolio after splitting from Western Digital. He also describes how the legacy quarterly price negotiation model created cyclicality.

  • SanDisk shares have surged over the past year amid AI data-center memory demand.
  • The company held an investor day in Manhattan and delivered bullish guidance into 2030.
  • Goeckeler says AI adoption has moved from training to an explosion in inference.
  • Scaling inference requires SanDisk's flash/memory products, supporting its AI positioning.
  • SanDisk transformed its portfolio after splitting from Western Digital.
  • Goeckeler says traditional memory cyclicality stems from long-term supply decisions meeting quarterly price negotiations.
  • The new business model strategy is intended to change how the company manages that cycle.
Ideas
David Goeckeler CEO and Chairman, SanDisk 1:47
AI inference scaling fuels SanDisk demand.
Goeckeler argues that AI has shifted from training to a global inference deployment phase, and scaling inference requires SanDisk's flash/memory products. He says the company spent 18 months transforming its portfolio and built the exact right products to fuel that growth, so investors now better understand its position in AI and across the broader market.
Up Next

This CNBC video, published August 14, 2026, features David Goeckeler discussing SNDK. 1 trade idea extracted by AI with direction and confidence scoring.

Speakers: David Goeckeler  · Tickers: SNDK