Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Shares Up 6.9% Following Analyst Upgrade

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)’s share price was up 6.9% on Tuesday after New Street Research raised their price target on the stock from $140.00 to $235.00. New Street Research currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Lam Research traded as high as $213.84 and last traded at $213.66. Approximately 11,528,432 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 4% from the average daily volume of 11,993,426 shares. The stock had previously closed at $199.93.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $262.00 price objective on Lam Research and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 target price (up from $175.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Needham & Company LLC boosted their price target on Lam Research from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. UBS Group set a $300.00 price objective on Lam Research in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Lam Research from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.35.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lam Research

In other Lam Research news, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.03, for a total value of $11,214,269.71. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 1,081,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $242,334,371.15. This trade represents a 4.42% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ava Harter sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.66, for a total transaction of $333,990.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 53,205 shares in the company, valued at $11,846,625.30. The trade was a 2.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 130,886 shares of company stock worth $29,658,802. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

More Lam Research News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lam Research this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and research pieces highlight Lam’s strong positioning in AI-driven chip demand and operational improvements, supporting a longer-term bullish case. Lam Research: Poised For Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets are featuring Lam as a top long-term pick, reinforcing positive analyst attention that can help sentiment into the next quarter. Why Lam Research (LRCX) is a Top Stock for the Long-Term
• Neutral Sentiment: New Street raised Lam’s price target to $235 (from $140) but kept a “neutral” rating — the higher target is supportive, but the unchanged stance limits immediate bullish impact. New Street Adjusts Price Target on Lam Research
• Neutral Sentiment: Lam scheduled its March-quarter earnings call for April 22 — a near-term event that will likely drive volatility as investors focus on bookings, guidance and China exposure. Lam Research Announces March Quarter Financial Conference Call
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group downgraded Lam from “buy” to “hold” — analyst rating cuts can pressure shares by reducing investor conviction and fund demand. Erste Group Downgrades Lam Research
• Negative Sentiment: U.S. lawmakers proposed legislation to tighten exports of chipmaking tools to China. Broader export-control risks create uncertainty for equipment suppliers with China exposure and could constrain revenue visibility. US Lawmakers Propose Crackdown on Chip Tool Sales to China
• Negative Sentiment: Bridgewater’s Ray Dalio trimmed his Lam position, which can be interpreted as reduced confidence from a large institutional holder and may weigh on sentiment. Ray Dalio Trims Stake in Lam Research

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lam Research

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. PMV Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Lam Research in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Bayban acquired a new position in Lam Research during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Lam Research during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Lam Research in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, University of Illinois Foundation acquired a new stake in shares of Lam Research during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. 84.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lam Research Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.26. The company has a market cap of $272.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.68, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 1.78. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $227.05 and its 200 day moving average price is $183.95.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.10. Lam Research had a net margin of 30.22% and a return on equity of 62.81%. The business had revenue of $5.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.23 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.91 earnings per share. Lam Research’s revenue was up 22.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Lam Research has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.450 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lam Research Corporation will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.31%.

About Lam Research

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ: LRCX) is a global supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry. Founded in 1980 by David K. Lam and headquartered in Fremont, California, the company develops and manufactures systems used in multiple stages of semiconductor device production, including thin film deposition, plasma etch, wafer cleaning and related process modules and automation.

Lam’s product portfolio covers core process technologies employed by logic and memory manufacturers, with equipment designed to support advanced-node patterning, 3D NAND and other emerging device architectures.