Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Cut to “Hold” at Erste Group Bank

Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Thursday, MarketBeat Ratings reports.

LRCX has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on shares of Lam Research from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on Lam Research from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. HSBC increased their price target on Lam Research from $181.00 to $221.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on Lam Research from $250.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $245.35.

Lam Research Stock Performance

Shares of LRCX opened at $218.44 on Thursday. Lam Research has a 52-week low of $56.32 and a 52-week high of $256.68. The stock has a market cap of $272.78 billion, a PE ratio of 44.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.78. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $227.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $185.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $5.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.23 billion. Lam Research had a net margin of 30.22% and a return on equity of 62.81%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 22.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.91 earnings per share. Lam Research has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.450 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Lam Research will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Lam Research’s payout ratio is presently 21.31%.

Insider Activity at Lam Research

In related news, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,081,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $242,334,371.15. This represents a 4.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ava Harter sold 4,000 shares of Lam Research stock in a transaction on Monday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.50, for a total value of $930,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 54,705 shares in the company, valued at $12,718,912.50. This represents a 6.81% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 130,886 shares of company stock worth $29,658,802. Insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Lam Research

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of LRCX. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Lam Research in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $230,000. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in shares of Lam Research by 33.7% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 16,208 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,774,000 after purchasing an additional 4,086 shares during the period. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lam Research during the 4th quarter worth approximately $496,000. DUTCH ASSET Corp acquired a new stake in Lam Research in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $598,000. Finally, Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC purchased a new stake in Lam Research in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $386,000. 84.61% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Lam Research News

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.