Western Digital today reported revenue of $3.5 billion and a net loss of $351 million, or $1.34 per share, for its fourth fiscal quarter ended July 1, 2016. On a non-GAAP basis, fourth quarter net income was $208 million, or $0.79 per share. In the year-ago quarter, the company reported revenue of $3.2 billion and net income of $220 million, or $0.94 per share. Non-GAAP net income in the year-ago quarter was $356 million, or $1.51 per share.

The company generated $355 million in cash from operations during the fourth fiscal quarter of 2016, ending with total cash and cash equivalents of $8.2 billion. On May 4, 2016, the company declared a cash dividend of $0.50 per share of its common stock, which was paid to shareholders on July 15, 2016.

For fiscal 2016, the company achieved revenue of $13.0 billion and net income of $257 million, or $1.06 per share, compared to fiscal 2015 revenue of $14.6 billion and net income of $1.5 billion, or $6.18 per share. On a non-GAAP basis, fiscal 2016 net income was $1.2 billion, or $5.09 per share, compared to fiscal 2015 net income of $1.8 billion, or $7.76 per share. The company generated $2.0 billion in cash from operations during the 2016 fiscal year and it returned $524 million in dividends and share repurchases combined.

"Fiscal 2016 was a transformative year for our company and we are pleased by our customers' response to the new Western Digital," said Steve Milligan, chief executive officer. "With the combination of SanDisk and our WD and HGST subsidiaries, we are well-positioned to capture global opportunities through our full portfolio of products for data center, client device and client solution end markets. As we begin a new fiscal year, we remain focused on execution and realizing the benefits of our acquisitions while at the same time creating innovative solutions for the market."

The investment community conference call to discuss these results will be broadcast live at 2 p.m. Pacific/5 p.m. Eastern via webcast today. The live and archived conference call/webcast can be accessed online at investor.wdc.com. A quarterly fact sheet including the company's  guidance for the first fiscal quarter 2017 will also be posted on the same website. The telephone replay number is +1 (855) 859-2056 in the U.S. or +1 (404) 537-3406 for international callers. The required passcode is 46180701.

About Western Digital

Western Digital is an industry-leading provider of storage technologies and solutions that enable people to create, leverage, experience and preserve data. The company addresses ever-changing market needs by providing a full portfolio of compelling, high-quality storage solutions with customer-focused innovation, high efficiency, flexibility and speed. Our products are marketed under the HGST, SanDisk and WD brands to OEMs, distributors, resellers, cloud infrastructure providers and consumers. Financial and investor information is available on the company's Investor Relations website at investor.wdc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements concerning the company's preliminary financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended July 1, 2016; expectations regarding the company's transformation, growth opportunities and strategy execution; and integration activities and the realization of the benefits of the company's acquisitions. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. The preliminary financial results for the company's fourth fiscal quarter ended July 1, 2016 included in this press release represent the most current information available to management. The company's actual results when disclosed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K may differ from these preliminary results as a result of the completion of the company's financial closing procedures; final adjustments; completion of the audit by the company's independent registered accounting firm and other developments that may arise between now and the disclosure of the final results. Other risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements include: volatility in global economic conditions; business conditions and growth in the storage ecosystem; impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance and cost of commodity materials and specialized product components; actions by competitors; unexpected advances in competing technologies; our development and introduction of products based on new technologies and expansion into new data storage markets; risks associated with acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties listed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including the company's and SanDisk Corporation's Forms 10-Q filed with the SEC on May 9, 2016 and May 2, 2016, respectively, to which your attention is directed. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect new information or events.