Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Rating Lowered to Hold at Erste Group Bank

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Erste Group Bank from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $290.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their target price on Lam Research from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore set a $275.00 price target on Lam Research in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on Lam Research from $170.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Lam Research presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $245.35.

Lam Research Price Performance

NASDAQ:LRCX opened at $218.44 on Thursday. Lam Research has a 1 year low of $56.32 and a 1 year high of $256.68. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $227.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $184.88. The stock has a market cap of $272.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.76, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a current ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.10. Lam Research had a return on equity of 62.81% and a net margin of 30.22%.The company had revenue of $5.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm 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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Lam Research will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lam Research

In other news, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 4th. The stock was 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 directly owned 1,081,705 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $242,334,371.15. This trade represents a 4.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Eric Brandt sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.60, for a total value of $7,896,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 253,705 shares in the company, valued at $57,235,848. The trade was a 12.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 130,886 shares of company stock worth $29,658,802 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lam Research

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of LRCX. PMV Capital Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Lam Research in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lam Research during the third quarter worth $26,000. Bayban bought a new stake in shares of Lam Research in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute bought a new stake in shares of Lam Research in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Lam Research in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.61% of the company’s stock.

Lam Research News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and a higher price target pushed bullish flows — recent coverage flagged an upgrade and a price‑target raise to $235, which helped shares rally earlier in the session. Lam Research Shares Up on Analyst Upgrade Price Target Raised to $235
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and outlets are naming LRCX among top semiconductor‑equipment picks as semiconductor capex and AI chip demand accelerate — this thematic coverage supports expectations for stronger order cycles and revenue visibility. Semiconductor Capex Rising 2 AI Pick-and-Shovel Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: The company scheduled its March quarter conference call for April 22 — investor focus will shift to management’s commentary on order trends and FY guidance, which could move the stock depending on the tone. March Quarter Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces highlighting LRCX as a long‑term buy and mentions in “best stock” lists support investor interest, but are more sentiment drivers than immediate catalysts. Why Lam Research Is a Top Stock for the Long Term
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional moves: reports show Bridgewater (Ray Dalio) trimmed its stake—worth noting for positioning, but not an immediate operational signal. Ray Dalio Trims Stake
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk increased after lawmakers proposed tougher restrictions on exports of chipmaking tools to China, which would raise geopolitical and revenue uncertainty for equipment suppliers like Lam. US Lawmakers Propose Crackdown on Chip Tool Sales to China
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group downgraded LRCX from Buy to Hold, a direct negative analyst signal that likely weighed on intraday sentiment despite other upgrades. Erste Downgrades Lam Research

Lam Research Company Profile

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.