Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Trading Up 1.7% on Analyst Upgrade

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)’s stock price was up 1.7% on Tuesday after Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the stock from $254.00 to $260.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. Lam Research traded as high as $224.49 and last traded at $224.35. Approximately 6,645,181 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 43% from the average daily volume of 11,693,765 shares. The stock had previously closed at $220.65.

LRCX has been the topic of several other reports. UBS Group set a $300.00 price objective on Lam Research in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised Lam Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. New Street Research lifted their price target on Lam Research from $140.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Citic Securities lifted their price target on Lam Research from $165.00 to $275.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, Lam Research presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.54.

Insider Transactions at Lam Research

In other news, Director Eric Brandt sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.60, for a total transaction of $7,896,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 253,705 shares in the company, valued at $57,235,848. This trade represents a 12.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer 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 SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 130,886 shares of company stock worth $29,658,802 over the last ninety days. 0.31% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Lam Research News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent market writeups note LRCX outpaced the market today, reflecting bullish momentum after back‑to‑back beats and continued revenue strength. Why Lam Research (LRCX) Outpaced the Stock Market Today
• Positive Sentiment: Systems revenue growth tied to AI chip demand remains a key growth driver — Zacks highlights a meaningful uptick in systems sales as WFE spending accelerates. AI Boom Aids LRCX’s Systems Revenue Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Profile pieces call LRCX a “Bull of the Day,” citing defensible tech and positioning among top AI‑chip equipment suppliers — supporting investor confidence in longer‑term secular demand. Bull of the Day: Lam Research (LRCX)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and hedge‑fund sentiment is skewed bullish: 24 of 28 analysts covering LRCX had Buy/Outperform calls in recent data, reinforcing demand for the stock among discretionary funds. Lam Research (LRCX) Fuels Bullish Sentiment Despite Supply Chain Risks
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $260 (from $254) — a sign analysts see upside even as the firm retained an equal‑weight stance. That lift to PT can provide near‑term technical and sentiment support. Morgan Stanley adjusts price target on Lam Research to $260
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming catalyst — Lam reports fiscal Q3 2026 results on April 22 after the close. Recent trends (four straight beats) set a high bar; the print will likely drive short‑term volatility. Dear Lam Research Investors, Mark Your Calendars for April 22
• Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term analyst pieces (e.g., The Motley Fool) debate whether LRCX remains a top buy for multi‑year returns; useful for longer‑horizon investors but less immediately market‑moving. Is Lam Research Stock a Smart Investment for 2025?
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage flags supply‑chain and geopolitical risks that could dampen execution or timing of orders; investors should weigh those risks ahead of the April 22 print. Lam Research (LRCX) Fuels Bullish Sentiment Despite Supply Chain Risks

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lam Research

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lingohr Asset Management GmbH increased its holdings in Lam Research by 590.7% in the third quarter. Lingohr Asset Management GmbH now owns 59,555 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $7,974,000 after purchasing an additional 50,933 shares in the last quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd increased its holdings in Lam Research by 52.0% in the third quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd now owns 262,544 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $34,417,000 after purchasing an additional 89,856 shares in the last quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. increased its holdings in Lam Research by 8.0% in the third quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 140,433 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $18,804,000 after purchasing an additional 10,408 shares in the last quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC increased its holdings in Lam Research by 115.2% in the third quarter. Thoroughbred Financial Services LLC now owns 22,198 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,972,000 after purchasing an additional 11,883 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its holdings in Lam Research by 30.9% in the third quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 144,656 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $19,369,000 after purchasing an additional 34,147 shares in the last quarter. 84.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Lam Research Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $280.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.78. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $226.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $187.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.26 and a quick ratio of 1.61.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $5.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter 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, research analysts predict that Lam Research Corporation will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be paid 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 is Wednesday, March 4th. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.