Lam Research Corporation $LRCX Stock Sold by Nikulski Financial Inc.

Nikulski Financial Inc. reduced its position in Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) by 10.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 33,544 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 3,964 shares during the quarter. Lam Research makes up about 2.3% of Nikulski Financial Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Nikulski Financial Inc.’s holdings in Lam Research were worth $11,022,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Lam Research by 2.6% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,704,130 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $26,320,468,000 after acquiring an additional 1,545,830 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Lam Research by 5.5% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 11,244,147 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $4,872,426,000 after purchasing an additional 584,489 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its stake in Lam Research by 411.8% during the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 11,089,395 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,805,368,000 after purchasing an additional 8,922,854 shares during the period. Amundi raised its stake in Lam Research by 23.7% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 10,147,479 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,168,107,000 after purchasing an additional 1,942,862 shares during the period. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC lifted its holdings in Lam Research by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 9,265,026 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,975,244,000 after purchasing an additional 181,087 shares in the last quarter. 84.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Lam Research Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LRCX opened at $233.78 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $279.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $283.79. Lam Research Corporation has a 52 week low of $135.50 and a 52 week high of $438.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 2.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $292.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.84, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.97.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 21st. The semiconductor company reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.02. Lam Research had a net margin of 32.34% and a return on equity of 72.15%. The firm had revenue of $8.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.26 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 54.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Lam Research Corporation will post 9.60 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, December 2nd. Lam Research’s payout ratio is presently 19.67%.

Lam Research declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Thursday, November 5th that permits the company to repurchase $25 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the semiconductor company to repurchase up to 9% of its shares through open market purchases. Share buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Lam Research News Summary

These are some of the LRCX news items that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Lam’s board authorized up to $25 billion in share repurchases and reaffirmed its quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share. Buybacks can support shareholder returns and signal management confidence, though the authorization does not guarantee purchases at a particular pace. Lam Research buyback article
• Neutral Sentiment: Lam and LEGO Education announced a multiyear STEM education partnership, including a $15 million Lam Foundation grant over four years. It may support Lam’s reputation and future workforce development, but the commitment is unlikely to materially change near-term earnings. Lam and LEGO partnership announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Despite a recent multi-session rebound, Lam remains below its 50-day moving average, and reports describe a roughly 34% decline over the past month. The sharp volatility and lingering pressure on semiconductor-equipment shares may continue to weigh on sentiment. Lam Research share performance article

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on LRCX shares. Berenberg Bank set a $420.00 target price on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. HSBC reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $333.00 price target on shares of Lam Research in a report on Monday, July 27th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of Lam Research from $390.00 to $290.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $350.00 price objective (down from $450.00) on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $345.00 price objective on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Twenty-six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $357.57.

Insider Activity at Lam Research

In other Lam Research news, insider Ava Harter sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $302.46, for a total transaction of $1,512,300.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 42,462 shares in the company, valued at $12,843,056.52. This represents a 10.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Bethany Mayer sold 9,557 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $314.74, for a total value of $3,007,970.18. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 20,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,607,966.30. The trade was a 31.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 14,573 shares of company stock worth $4,523,606 over the last three months. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Lam Research

Lam Research is a global supplier of equipment and services used to manufacture semiconductors. Its products help chipmakers create and process the microscopic structures that form integrated circuits. The company’s wafer fabrication equipment is used for processes including etch, thin-film deposition and wafer cleaning. Lam also provides services such as equipment maintenance, upgrades, spare parts and other support for chip manufacturing operations. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in Fremont, California, Lam Research serves semiconductor manufacturers around the world.