Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) Given Average Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirty-five brokerages that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $200.5226.

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on LRCX shares. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Lam Research from $195.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $260.00 price target (up from $195.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays set a $195.00 price objective on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Zacks Research raised Lam Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Friday, January 9th.

Lam Research News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded LRCX to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), a move that typically attracts momentum flows and retail/institutional attention; the upgrade is being cited as a catalyst for optimism about near-term earnings and price momentum. Lam Research (LRCX) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here’s What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary (Zacks) and coverage notes point to strong AI-chip demand and rising DRAM spending that should help LRCX beat Q2 estimates, supporting upside expectations for revenue and margins. LRCX Likely to Beat Q2 Earnings Estimates: Should You Buy the Stock?
• Positive Sentiment: Media coverage highlights AI-driven momentum (a recent piece notes the stock jumped on AI buzz and tariff news), which can attract short-term buyers and program trades. Why Lam Research (LRCX) Is Up 5.0% After AI Buzz And Tariff Jitters Hit Spotlight
• Neutral Sentiment: New Street raised its price target to $195 (from $140) but kept a “neutral” rating — the higher target signals improving fundamental views, but the maintained neutral limits the endorsement strength for further rallies. New Street Adjusts Lam Research Price Target to $195 From $140; Maintains Neutral Rating
• Neutral Sentiment: High-profile mentions (e.g., Jim Cramer calling LRCX “the best of the best” while warning about buying parabolic moves) can boost credibility but also encourage caution among momentum-sensitive traders. Jim Cramer calls Lam Research the “best of the best” but warns against buying parabolic moves
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually large put-option volume: traders bought ~87,781 puts (about +129% vs. average), a sharp rise in bearish/options-hedging activity that can signal investor risk-off, price protection flows, or speculative bearish bets — all of which can add downward pressure or volatility.
• Negative Sentiment: Relative weakness vs. peers: coverage notes that LRCX underperformed competitors on Thursday, a datapoint traders watch for leadership shifts within the semiconductor equipment group and to gauge rotation risk. Lam Research Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors

Lam Research Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LRCX opened at $217.94 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 1.60. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $178.08 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $141.88. Lam Research has a fifty-two week low of $56.32 and a fifty-two week high of $236.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $273.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.77.

Lam Research Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 3rd were paid a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 3rd. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.91%.

Insider Transactions at Lam Research

In other Lam Research news, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 40,080 shares of the business’s 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 completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 987,237 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $148,677,892.20. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Bethany Mayer sold 1,298 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.99, for a total transaction of $207,667.02. Following the transaction, the director 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 41,408 shares of company stock valued at $6,248,501 over the last ninety days. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Lam Research by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 130,974,214 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $17,537,447,000 after buying an additional 364,949 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Lam Research by 0.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,817,352 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $8,024,684,000 after acquiring an additional 265,805 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Lam Research by 14.4% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 40,622,437 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,954,188,000 after purchasing an additional 5,102,589 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Lam Research by 3.5% during the 2nd 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. lifted its position in Lam Research by 18.2% during the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 21,182,948 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,836,397,000 after purchasing an additional 3,263,658 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 84.61% of the company’s stock.

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.