LITE vs. WDC

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

LITE (Lumentum Holdings Inc.) and WDC (Western Digital Corporation) are both stocks. Both are in the Technology sector — LITE in Communication Equipment, WDC in Computer Hardware. Over the past 10 years, LITE returned 43.30%/yr vs 32.86%/yr for WDC. At a 0.45 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

LITE vs. WDC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Lumentum Holdings Inc. (LITE) and Western Digital Corporation (WDC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LITE achieves a 142.93% return, which is significantly lower than WDC's 206.10% return. Over the past 10 years, LITE has outperformed WDC with an annualized return of 43.30%, while WDC has yielded a comparatively lower 32.86% annualized return.

LITE

• 1D: 3.68%
• 1M: -0.93%
• YTD: 142.93%
• 6M: 161.38%
• 1Y: 999.19%
• 3Y*: 159.80%
• 5Y*: 62.02%
• 10Y*: 43.30%

WDC

• 1D: 2.97%
• 1M: 9.81%
• YTD: 206.10%
• 6M: 210.59%
• 1Y: 852.85%
• 3Y*: 160.14%
• 5Y*: 56.39%
• 10Y*: 32.86%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

LITE vs. WDC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
LITE Lumentum Holdings Inc.	142.93%	339.06%	60.15%	0.48%	-50.68%	11.57%	19.55%	88.76%	-14.09%	26.52%
WDC Western Digital Corporation	206.10%	283.68%	13.86%	65.99%	-51.62%	17.73%	-10.89%	77.14%	-51.90%	19.83%

Correlation

The correlation between LITE and WDC is 0.45, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.45
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.49
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.47
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 5, 2015	0.45

The correlation between LITE and WDC has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.45 to 0.52 - a consistent structural relationship.

Fundamentals

EPS LITE : $5.26 WDC : $23.29
PE Ratio LITE : 170.11 WDC : 22.63
PS Ratio LITE : 30.07 WDC : 12.46
Total Revenue (TTM) LITE : $2.49B WDC : $11.78B
Gross Profit (TTM) LITE : $938.50M WDC : $5.35B
EBITDA (TTM) LITE : $470.10M WDC : $10.88B

Return for Risk

LITE vs. WDC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

LITE

LITE Risk / Return Rank: 99
LITE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
LITE Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
LITE Omega Ratio Rank: 98
LITE Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
LITE Martin Ratio Rank: 100

WDC

WDC Risk / Return Rank: 99
WDC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
WDC Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
WDC Omega Ratio Rank: 99
WDC Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
WDC Martin Ratio Rank: 100

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

LITE vs. WDC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Lumentum Holdings Inc. (LITE) and Western Digital Corporation (WDC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	LITE	WDC	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	11.76	13.33	-1.57
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	5.52	6.78	-1.26
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.73	1.94	-0.21
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	35.18	41.84	-6.66
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	134.51	146.77	-12.26
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LITE vs. WDC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LITE Sharpe Ratio is 11.76, which is comparable to the WDC Sharpe Ratio of 13.33. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LITE and WDC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	LITE	WDC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.76	13.33	-1.57
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.04	1.17	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.77	0.68	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.75	0.20	+0.54

Drawdowns

LITE vs. WDC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LITE drawdown since its inception was -66.89%, smaller than the maximum WDC drawdown of -96.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LITE and WDC.

Drawdown Indicators

	LITE	WDC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-66.89%	-96.20%	+29.31%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-28.70%	-20.59%	-8.11%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-50.63%	-49.65%	-0.98%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-66.48%	-59.68%	-6.80%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-66.89%	-70.49%	+3.60%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-14.97%	-11.28%	-3.69%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-23.16%	-52.09%	+28.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.49%	5.86%	+1.63%

Volatility

LITE vs. WDC - Volatility Comparison

Lumentum Holdings Inc. (LITE) has a higher volatility of 31.18% compared to Western Digital Corporation (WDC) at 20.86%. This indicates that LITE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than WDC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LITE	WDC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	31.18%	20.86%	+10.32%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	69.07%	52.91%	+16.16%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	86.01%	64.74%	+21.27%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	59.79%	48.62%	+11.17%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	56.55%	48.52%	+8.03%

Dividends

LITE vs. WDC - Dividend Comparison

LITE has not paid dividends to shareholders, while WDC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.09%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
LITE Lumentum Holdings Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
WDC Western Digital Corporation	0.09%	0.19%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	1.81%	2.36%	5.41%	2.51%	2.94%	3.33%

Financials

LITE vs. WDC - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Lumentum Holdings Inc. and Western Digital Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

LITE - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lumentum Holdings Inc. reported a gross profit of 357.00M and revenue of 808.40M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 44.2%.

WDC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Western Digital Corporation reported a gross profit of 1.68B and revenue of 3.34B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 50.2%.

LITE - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lumentum Holdings Inc. reported an operating income of 174.50M and revenue of 808.40M, resulting in an operating margin of 21.6%.

WDC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Western Digital Corporation reported an operating income of 1.14B and revenue of 3.34B, resulting in an operating margin of 34.0%.

LITE - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lumentum Holdings Inc. reported a net income of 144.20M and revenue of 808.40M, resulting in a net margin of 17.8%.

WDC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Western Digital Corporation reported a net income of 3.21B and revenue of 3.34B, resulting in a net margin of 96.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both LITE and WDC in my portfolio?

LITE and WDC have a correlation of 0.45, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, LITE or WDC?

LITE has higher volatility (31.18%) compared to WDC (20.86%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LITE dropped -66.89% vs WDC's -96.20%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

WDC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (13.33 vs 11.76), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.