Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Price Target Raised to $195.00

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) had its price target increased by New Street Research from $140.00 to $195.00 in a research report sent to investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the semiconductor company’s stock.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. HSBC boosted their price objective on shares of Lam Research from $127.00 to $181.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $225.00 price target (up previously from $175.00) on shares of Lam Research in a report on Monday, January 12th. B. Riley reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Evercore ISI upped their price target on Lam Research from $115.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $255.00 price target (up from $200.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lam Research has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $200.52.

Lam Research Stock Performance

Lam Research stock opened at $217.94 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $178.08 and a 200-day simple moving average of $141.58. The stock has a market cap of $273.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.21 and a quick ratio of 1.60. Lam Research has a 1-year low of $56.32 and a 1-year high of $236.10.

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

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

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 dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 3rd. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio is 22.91%.

Insider Activity

In related 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 sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 987,237 shares in the company, valued at $148,677,892.20. The trade was a 3.90% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Ava Harter sold 9,010 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.47, for a total transaction of $1,418,804.70. Following the transaction, the insider owned 56,786 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,942,091.42. This trade represents a 13.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 50,418 shares of company stock worth $7,667,305. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lam Research

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its stake in Lam Research by 63.1% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 49,779 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $8,521,000 after acquiring an additional 19,254 shares during the last quarter. Stonehaven Wealth & Tax Solutions LLC grew its position in shares of Lam Research by 28.8% during the fourth quarter. Stonehaven Wealth & Tax Solutions LLC now owns 3,148 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $539,000 after acquiring an additional 704 shares during the last quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Freestone Capital Holdings LLC now owns 7,996 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,369,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Tyche Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lam Research during the fourth quarter valued at about $250,000. Finally, Natural Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 15.5% in the fourth quarter. Natural Investments LLC now owns 3,936 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $673,000 after buying an additional 528 shares during the period. 84.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Lam Research

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

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.