Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Hits New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday after Evercore ISI raised their price target on the stock from $170.00 to $241.00. Evercore ISI currently has an outperform rating on the stock. Lam Research traded as high as $236.31 and last traded at $236.5240, with a volume of 2097043 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $222.87.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Barclays set a $195.00 price target on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Morgan Stanley set a $211.00 target price on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Hsbc Global Res upgraded Lam Research to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 30th. New Street Research increased their price target on Lam Research from $140.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $265.00 price target (up previously from $190.00) on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $204.26.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Bethany Mayer sold 1,298 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.99, for a total value of $207,667.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,652 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $264,303.48. This represents a 44.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 40,080 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 987,237 shares in the company, valued at $148,677,892.20. This trade represents a 3.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 41,408 shares of company stock valued at $6,248,501 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Lam Research

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings and revenue beat consensus — Lam reported $1.27 EPS vs. $1.17 expected and $5.34B revenue vs. $5.23B expected, with margins and ROE notably strong (y/y revenue +22%). Lam Research (LRCX) Q2 Earnings and Revenues Beat Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Raised Q3 guidance: EPS guide $1.25–1.45 (above $1.20 consensus) and revenue guide $5.4–6.0B (above ~$5.3B consensus) — investors view this as confirmation of stronger WFE demand. Lam Research Corporation Reports Financial Results for the Quarter Ended December 28, 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Management and news outlets cite rising enterprise orders and strong chipmaking-tool demand underpinning the upbeat forecast — a demand-driven beat/guide is taken as durable upside for revenue visibility. Lam Research forecasts strong quarterly results on chipmaking tool demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst interest and upgrades: coverage notes (including Evercore/other firms) and at least one upgrade have lifted sentiment and trading interest. Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Stock Price Up 2.3% After Analyst Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish commentary — Jim Cramer and others highlight a supply shortage and structural tailwinds from AI and advanced-node spending, supporting a longer-term bullish case. Lam Research (LRCX) Has a Shortage That Can’t Be Met, Says Jim Cramer
• Neutral Sentiment: Positive media and analyst previews (Zacks, 24/7 Wall St.) framed expectations ahead of results — helpful for market context but not new fundamentals. Bull of the Day: Lam Research (LRCX)
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and volatility concerns — commentary warns that LRCX is at record highs and has a history of sharp corrections; investors should weigh upside vs. PE/volatility risk. Why Record Highs For LRCX Stock May Face A Reality Check In 2026
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical/China exposure — coverage notes that China-related demand or regulatory developments could weigh on the outlook despite AI tailwinds. Lam Research leans on AI tailwinds as China weighs on outlook

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lam Research

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LRCX. PMV Capital Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lam Research during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. IMG Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Lam Research in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Stance Capital LLC bought a new position in Lam Research during the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Howard Hughes Medical Institute acquired a new position in shares of Lam Research during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Lam Research during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.61% of the company’s stock.

Lam Research Stock Up 0.5%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 2.21. The company has a market cap of $300.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.77, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $183.31 and a 200 day moving average price of $144.37.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.10. Lam Research had a return on equity of 60.60% and a net margin of 29.66%.The firm had revenue of $5.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $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. Research analysts expect that Lam Research Corporation will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, December 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 3rd. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.91%.

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.