While the former hedge fund manager and TV host Jim Cramer has, over the years, garnered a reputation for frequently being spectacularly wrong with his stock assessments, he has, so far, been correct regarding SanDisk (NASDAQ: SNDK).
Indeed, the ‘Mad Money’ presenter has been bullish on SNDK shares for months and has continuously been highlighting the equity for both its previous performance and anticipated upcoming success.
In the last 12 months, SanDisk stock is up a remarkable 2,739% and, in 2026 alone, the chipmaker soared $246.06% to its latest closing price of $952.50. In the subsequent extended session, it rose another 2.47% to its April 14 press time price of $976.
While exciting, the rally and Jim Cramer’s endorsement raise the possibility that the equity is about to find its top and, given the scale of the rise, that it will soon face a steep correction.
Despite the risks, the situation on Tuesday, April 14, appears positive for the firm, and it is likely to remain a ‘Strong Buy’ through the remainder of this month.
Why SanDisk stock is a buy this April
To begin with, SanDisk’s rally is scheduled to receive a mechanical boost on April 20 with the expected inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index. This move will essentially force funds tracking the benchmark to purchase the equity, leading to significant institutional buying activity.
While the index fund purchases will also arguably generate an enticing selling opportunity by May, SNDK shares are also driven by strong artificial intelligence (AI) buildout demand for the firm’s NAND flash and enterprise solid-state drives (SSD).
Thus, even if a correction takes place in the weeks after the inclusion in the Nasdaq-100, it is likely that it will remain temporary as long as the AI boom persists.
Is SanDisk stock’s biggest tailwind about to become the top headwind?
Still, the recent developments in the infrastructure buildout for the technology do represent a potential headwind for Sandisk stock. Specifically, the majority of announced data center projects that were announced during the boom that followed the public release of ChatGPT have either been delayed or cancelled.
Should the trend continue, it could have a significant impact on the beneficiaries of the investment, considering that much of their recent valuation increase was driven by expected massive sales of hardware to corporate clients.
So far, it appears that there is a mix of reasons for the delays, including public backlash over the impact of data centers, the fact that there have been no projects of a similar scale in the past that would inform companies on the actual reasonable timeframes, and the dubious utility of AI.
Earlier in 2026, surveys appeared to show that companies that actually adopted the new technology usually saw either no or limited benefits.
Similarly, some observers juxtaposed the astroturfed nature of workplace AI adoption with several previous technological developments, which usually saw management initially resist the use of new tools that employees insisted on.
Ultimately, the April tailwinds indicate Sandisk stock remains a strong buy for the time being, with the bullish picture likely remaining intact in the mid-term as well. The long-term success of the company, however, depends on whether the AI boom continues or turns into a bust.
Featured image via Shutterstock
