Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Trading 7% Higher After Analyst Upgrade

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)’s share price rose 7% on Tuesday after Evercore ISI raised their price target on the stock from $170.00 to $241.00. Evercore ISI currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Lam Research traded as high as $239.50 and last traded at $238.46. Approximately 11,857,319 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 13% from the average daily volume of 13,693,148 shares. The stock had previously closed at $222.87.

LRCX has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Hsbc Global Res raised shares of Lam Research to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. HSBC raised their target price on shares of Lam Research from $127.00 to $181.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 9th. Mizuho set a $220.00 price objective on Lam Research and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $265.00 target price (up from $210.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, January 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $202.81.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lam Research

In related news, Director Bethany Mayer sold 1,298 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.99, for a total transaction of $207,667.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,652 shares in the company, valued at $264,303.48. The trade was a 44.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 40,080 shares of Lam Research stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.60, for a total value of $6,036,048.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 987,237 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $148,677,892.20. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders have sold 41,408 shares of company stock valued at $6,248,501. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Key Lam Research News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI raised its price target sharply to $241 and kept an “outperform” rating, giving formal analyst backing that likely supported buying interest. Evercore ISI adjusts price target on Lam Research to $241 from $170; maintains outperform rating
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary (Zacks) highlights AI-driven foundry demand lifting Lam’s Systems revenues in Q2, with strong traction for advanced etch and deposition tools—an operational tailwind for near-term sales and margins. AI-Driven Foundry Demand Likely to Boost LRCX’s Systems Revenues in Q2
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat analysis ranks Lam among top equipment names for 2026, noting high-margin recurring revenue and recent strong top-line growth—this narrative supports investor appetite amid the AI chip cycle. Which Semiconductor Equipment Stock Has More Upside in 2026? (LRCX)
• Neutral Sentiment: Lam appeared on Benzinga’s list of names trending among investors today, indicating heightened attention and volume but not necessarily a directional fundamental change. Seagate Technology, Texas Instruments, Richtech Robotics, Corning And Lam Research: Why These 5 Stocks Are On Investors’ Radars Today
• Negative Sentiment: MSN coverage flags that China-related headwinds could weigh on Lam’s outlook—geopolitical or market softness in China remains a downside risk that could temper future guidance or order patterns. Lam Research leans on AI tailwinds as China weighs on outlook

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lam Research

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Traphagen Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lam Research by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Traphagen Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,963 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $336,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the period. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC lifted its holdings in Lam Research by 1.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 4,646 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $795,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC grew its position in Lam Research by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Global Financial Private Client LLC now owns 11,037 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,889,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the period. WealthCollab LLC increased its stake in Lam Research by 29.3% during the fourth quarter. WealthCollab LLC now owns 243 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. raised its position in Lam Research by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. now owns 2,157 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $369,000 after purchasing an additional 57 shares during the period. 84.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lam Research Trading Up 7.0%

The company has a 50 day moving average price of $181.49 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.21. The firm has a market cap of $299.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 52.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.77.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 3rd were given a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 3rd. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. Lam Research’s payout ratio is presently 22.91%.

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.