Lam Research Corporation $LRCX Shares Sold by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC trimmed its holdings in Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) by 10.7% during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 312,654 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 37,502 shares during the quarter. Lam Research accounts for approximately 0.7% of Empowered Funds LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Lam Research were worth $135,482,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hayek Kallen Investment Management purchased a new position in shares of Lam Research during the 2nd quarter valued at about $482,000. Caitlin John LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lam Research by 113.1% in the second quarter. Caitlin John LLC now owns 473 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $205,000 after buying an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in Lam Research by 10.7% during the second quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 20,704 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $8,972,000 after acquiring an additional 2,003 shares during the period. N10 Assets LLC purchased a new position in Lam Research during the second quarter valued at approximately $14,506,000. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its position in Lam Research by 1,760.6% during the second quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 123,454 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $53,496,000 after acquiring an additional 116,819 shares in the last quarter. 84.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Lam Research

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lam Research raised its quarterly dividend by 27%, from $0.26 to $0.33 per share. The payment is scheduled for October 14, 2026, to shareholders of record on September 23. The increase signals confidence in cash generation and enhances shareholder returns, although future payments remain subject to board approval. Lam Research Corporation Announces a 27% Increase in Quarterly Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: The company broke ground on a 120,000-square-foot Oregon research laboratory as part of a more than $3 billion, five-year expansion of its global lab network. The investment is intended to accelerate equipment and process innovations for advanced AI chips and deepen collaboration with major customers, supporting Lam’s long-term AI-driven growth outlook. Lam Research Breaks Ground on New Oregon Lab
• Positive Sentiment: Recent operating momentum remains supportive: Lam’s latest reported quarter exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, with revenue up 30% year over year. Its exposure to AI-related chip manufacturing, recurring services revenue and strong balance sheet were also cited as reasons it may be preferable to some other chip stocks. Lam Research vs. Microchip
• Neutral Sentiment: Directors Michael R. Cannon and Sohail U. Ahmed are retiring from Lam Research’s board. The planned governance transition does not appear to change the company’s near-term business outlook, but investors may monitor board succession and strategic continuity. Lam Research Announces Director Retirements
• Neutral Sentiment: Chief Financial Officer Doug Bettinger is scheduled to participate in upcoming investor conferences, potentially providing additional commentary on semiconductor demand, AI spending and company guidance. Lam Research Announces Participation at Upcoming Conferences
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho lowered its price target for Lam Research to $365, a potentially cautionary signal regarding valuation or near-term semiconductor-equipment conditions. The revised target remains above the price level described in the market background, limiting the severity of the negative read-through. Mizuho Lowers Lam Research Price Target

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Abhijit Y. Talwalkar sold 18,282 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $335.00, for a total transaction of $6,124,470.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 87,142 shares in the company, valued at $29,192,570. This represents a 17.34% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, SVP Neil J. Fernandes sold 7,659 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $309.60, for a total transaction of $2,371,226.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 58,470 shares in the company, valued at $18,102,312. This represents a 11.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 80,441 shares of company stock worth $27,614,296 over the last 90 days. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Lam Research from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Lam Research from $404.00 to $367.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $350.00 target price (down from $450.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $335.00 price target (up from $275.00) on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $400.00 price objective (up from $340.00) on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, July 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $357.31.

Lam Research Stock Up 1.8%

Lam Research stock opened at $318.58 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 2.63 and a quick ratio of 1.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $398.65 billion, a PE ratio of 55.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.24 and a beta of 1.84. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $332.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $289.05. Lam Research Corporation has a 12 month low of $94.11 and a 12 month high of $438.50.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The semiconductor company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.13. Lam Research had a return on equity of 67.60% and a net margin of 31.27%.The firm had revenue of $6.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.33 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 30.0% on a year-over-year basis. Lam Research has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 2.000-2.300 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Lam Research Corporation will post 9.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 23rd. This is a positive change from Lam Research’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. Lam Research’s payout ratio is 18.06%.

Lam Research 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.