DAILY TRADING: WDAY Analysis 14 August 2026 – Silver Lake Report Drives Largest Gain Since 2016
Updated Updated Fri, 2026 August 14 08:00
As of 02:00 (GMT+0) on 14 August 2026, the Vantage WDAY CFD was quoted at $206.54, while Workday’s Nasdaq-listed shares had closed Thursday at $206.45. Reuters reported that Silver Lake is in talks to acquire Workday, whose market value stood at around $43 billion before the report sent shares higher, and WDAY stock exploded, gaining nearly 18% and trading was halted for volatility during the surge.[1] By the close, WDAY had logged its largest single-day percentage gain since 2016.[2]
This piece reads the chart and the Workday stock news behind that move, without calling the trade.
Key Points
- Workday (WDAY) gained nearly 18% on 13 August 2026, and trading was halted for volatility during the surge, after Reuters reported Silver Lake was in talks to acquire the company, whose market value stood at around $43 billion before the report.[1]
- The stock closed at $206.45, up 17.78% on the day, lifting Workday’s market value to roughly $51.1 billion and roughly erasing the shares’ 2026 decline in one session.[1]
- Wells Fargo raised its price objective to $215 on 12 August, while Morgan Stanley carries an Underweight rating and a $145 objective, a divergence that highlights the wide range of analyst expectations for Workday’s growth and valuation.[3][4]
What the WDAY Stock Chart Is Actually Showing
Under the WDAY ticker on the Nasdaq, sometimes searched as the Workday stock ticker, Thursday’s 17.78% gain was WDAY’s largest single-day percentage gain since March 2016. On the 15-minute chart used here, the Vantage WDAY CFD ranged between $203.91 and $206.71 in the bar ending at the cut-off, last trading at $206.54, up $1.34 (+0.65%), a footnote beneath Thursday’s spike, which shot above the recent range before easing into the low $200s overnight, last marked near $205.35.
The 50-period moving average sits at $176.59 and the 200-period moving average at $179.31 on this 15-minute TradingView chart, both remaining well below the latest price after Thursday’s sharp repricing. RSI(14) stands at 69.31, placing momentum near the conventional 70 overbought threshold, which signals strong short-term momentum while also flagging the risk of a near-term cooling if the rally fails to extend. Its moving average sits lower, at 63.03. The displayed 15-minute bar shows volume of 153.99K, well below the exceptional turnover seen during Thursday’s initial spike, a reminder of how fast the Workday stock price can move on a single headline.
The Silver Lake Story Behind the Workday Stock News
Reuters reported on 13 August that Silver Lake and Workday have been in talks for months, and said a completed transaction could rank among the largest software buyouts on record. Nothing is signed, and neither company commented. The stock price remains highly sensitive to any further developments in the acquisition talks.
Before Thursday, Workday, Inc. stock had fallen about 15% in 2026 and sat more than 40% below its 2024 peak, amid concerns that advances in AI could weaken demand for traditional enterprise software. The rally roughly erased Workday’s 2026 decline by the closing bell. Recent software take-private deals include Thoma Bravo’s roughly $12.3 billion acquisition of Dayforce, completed in February,[7] Hg Capital’s $6.4 billion take-private of OneStream, completed in April,[10] and Silver Lake’s participation in the roughly $55 billion take-private of Electronic Arts alongside Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Affinity Partners.[1]
Why Wall Street Can’t Agree on Workday Stock
Wells Fargo’s Michael Turrin raised his objective to $215 from $185 on 12 August, maintaining Overweight and pointing to Workday’s reported more than 200% year-over-year growth in new agentic-AI annual contract value.[9] Morgan Stanley downgraded Workday to Underweight on 21 July, cutting its objective to $145 on concerns AI-driven growth is arriving slower than the valuation assumes. Same company, same AI story, opposite conclusions. The divergence highlights how differently analysts are assessing Workday’s AI opportunity, growth outlook, and valuation ahead of earnings.
WDAY Levels to Watch Ahead of Earnings
The following levels are taken directly from the 15-minute TradingView chart at the 02:00 (GMT+0) cut-off and should be treated as indicative rather than fixed support or resistance levels.
| Level | Price | Technical Context |
| Latest 15-min bar high | $206.71 | Immediate intrabar high before the cut-off |
| Latest 15-min bar low | $203.91 | Immediate intrabar low, pullback off the post-report spike |
| Overnight reference | $205.35 | Chart-marked overnight level ahead of the cut-off |
| 50-period MA (15-min chart) | $176.59 | Well below current price after Thursday’s spike |
| 200-period MA (15-min chart) | $179.31 | Also well below current price after the repricing |
Table 1: Levels as of the 02:00 (GMT+0) cut-off on 14 August 2026. Source: the TradingView setup used for this analysis. Indicative only, not trade levels.
Workday’s fiscal 2027 second-quarter results land after the US close on 27 August, confirmed on 3 August.[5] That puts two potentially market-moving catalysts, the acquisition talks and quarterly earnings, in close proximity.
What to Watch
- Silver Lake Deal Talks, Ongoing: discussions continue with no guarantee of an outcome; any material shift could affect WDAY again.[1]
- Q2 FY2027 Earnings, 27 August 2026: results and commentary could add another major catalyst while the acquisition talks remain unresolved.[5]
- Workday Rising 2026, 12-15 October: the conference could provide another catalyst for the stock, with Workday expected to showcase its agentic AI roadmap and broader product strategy.[8]
Thursday’s move displaced WDAY from its recent trading range within hours. A move of this magnitude highlights the importance of risk management, including stop-loss placement and position sizing, particularly for CFD traders with correlated software exposure.
Leverage cuts both ways on a stock moving like this, magnifying losses just as fast as gains. The move also highlights why position sizing and leverage management matter for CFD traders ahead of further developments in the Silver Lake talks and the 27 August earnings report.
For more WDAY stock news, our Stock Market News Today and Earnings News Today tags track the wider tape, our Technical analysis tag covers the chart fundamentals here, and our Nasdaq News Today tag follows the wider index WDAY sits inside.
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References
[1] “Exclusive-Silver Lake in talks to buy Workday, sources say – Reuters via Yahoo Finance” https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/exclusive-silver-lake-talks-buy-183537331.html Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[2] “Workday shares post best day in 10 years on Silver Lake takeover report – CNBC” https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/13/workday-skyrockets-25percent-before-trading-halted-on-report-of-silver-lake-takeover.html Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[3] “Wells Fargo Adjusts Price Target on Workday to $215 From $185, Keeps Overweight Rating – MarketScreener” https://www.marketscreener.com/news/wells-fargo-adjusts-price-target-on-workday-to-215-from-185-keeps-overweight-rating-ce7859d8db89f127 Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[4] “Workday Downgraded by Morgan Stanley, Price Target Lowered to $145 – GuruFocus” https://www.gurufocus.com/news/8968847/wday-downgraded-by-morgan-stanley-price-target-lowered-to-145 Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[5] “Workday to Announce Fiscal 2027 Second Quarter Financial Results on August 27, 2026 – Workday Newsroom” https://newsroom.workday.com/2026-08-03-Workday-to-Announce-Fiscal-2027-Second-Quarter-Financial-Results-on-August-27,-2026 Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[6] “Workday Shares Surge After Report Silver Lake Is in Talks to Buy Company – Bloomberg” https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-13/workday-jumps-after-reuters-reports-silver-lake-in-talks-to-buy Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[7] “Thoma Bravo Completes Acquisition of Dayforce for Approximately $12.3 Billion – GlobeNewswire” https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/02/04/3232075/0/en/thoma-bravo-completes-acquisition-of-dayforce.html Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[8] “Workday Announces Rising 2026: Where Agentic HR and Agentic Finance Take Center Stage October 12-15 in Las Vegas – Workday Newsroom” https://newsroom.workday.com/2026-07-21-Workday-Announces-Rising-2026-Where-Agentic-HR-and-Agentic-Finance-Take-Center-Stage-October-12-15-in-Las-Vegas Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[9] “Workday Q1 Earnings Call Highlights – Yahoo Finance” https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/workday-q1-earnings-call-highlights-220640491.html Accessed on 14 August 2026.
[10] “OneStream Announces Completion of Acquisition by Hg for $6.4 Billion – OneStream” https://www.onestream.com/news/onestream-announces-completion-of-acquisition-by-hg-for-usd6-4-billion/ Accessed on 14 August 2026.
