Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

LRCX has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $260.00 target price (up previously from $195.00) on shares of Lam Research in a report on Wednesday. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $225.00 price objective (up from $175.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 target price (up previously from $200.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $250.00 target price on shares of Lam Research and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Bank of America increased their price target on Lam Research from $195.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lam Research currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $198.75.

Lam Research Trading Down 3.4%

Shares of LRCX opened at $220.70 on Tuesday. Lam Research has a twelve month low of $56.32 and a twelve month high of $236.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $277.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a current ratio of 2.21, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $176.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $140.46.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The semiconductor company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.23 billion. Lam Research had a return on equity of 60.60% and a net margin of 29.66%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 27.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.86 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Lam Research will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 3rd were given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 3rd. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.91%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Bethany Mayer sold 1,298 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.99, for a total value of $207,667.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $264,303.48. This represents a 44.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ava Harter sold 9,010 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.47, for a total value of $1,418,804.70. Following the sale, the insider owned 56,786 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,942,091.42. This trade represents a 13.69% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 50,418 shares of company stock worth $7,667,305 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lam Research

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Lam Research by 0.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 130,974,214 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $17,537,447,000 after acquiring an additional 364,949 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Lam Research by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,817,352 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $8,024,684,000 after purchasing an additional 265,805 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of Lam Research by 14.4% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 40,622,437 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,954,188,000 after purchasing an additional 5,102,589 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Lam Research by 3.5% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 33,802,736 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,280,484,000 after purchasing an additional 1,135,405 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in Lam Research by 18.2% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 21,182,948 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,836,397,000 after purchasing an additional 3,263,658 shares in the last quarter. 84.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lam Research News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights Lam’s strong earnings‑surprise history and says the company has the setup to beat next quarter’s estimates, supporting upside into the print. Will Lam Research (LRCX) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded LRCX from Hold to Strong Buy, a boost to sentiment that can attract momentum flows ahead of earnings. Zacks upgrade / TickerReport
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst notes and a Benzinga roundup show several firms projecting double‑digit upside / higher price targets, which supports upside expectations. Lam Research To Rally Around 17%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Wednesday
• Positive Sentiment: Media and commentator support: Jim Cramer called Lam “the best of the best,” which can lift investor confidence despite his caution about buying parabolic moves. Jim Cramer calls Lam Research the “best of the best” but warns against buying parabolic moves
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks included LRCX on its #1 (Strong Buy) momentum list, reinforcing short‑term buyer interest. Best Momentum Stock to Buy for January 21st
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming event risk: Lam is expected to report earnings shortly, which is the obvious near‑term catalyst that could drive volatility in either direction. Lam Research (LRCX) Expected to Announce Earnings on Wednesday
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry comparison piece (MarketBeat) flags Lam’s strong recurring revenue and recent revenue growth but notes analysts expect returns to moderate — useful context for medium‑term investors. Which Semiconductor Equipment Stock Has More Upside in 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and pullback risk: coverage warns the recent rally may be “too much, too fast,” and MarketBeat/analysts note a possible ~12% cooling from current levels — a direct reason for profit‑taking. Which Semiconductor Equipment Stock Has More Upside in 2026?
• Negative Sentiment: Jim Cramer’s warning against buying “parabolic moves” and general caution about stretched multiples increases the chance of short‑term selling if earnings or guidance disappoints. Jim Cramer calls Lam Research the “best of the best” but warns against buying parabolic moves

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.