Erste Group Bank cut shares of Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX – Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report published on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports.
Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on shares of Lam Research from $260.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Summit Insights raised Lam Research from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Bank of America boosted their price target on Lam Research from $195.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Mizuho set a $265.00 price target on Lam Research in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Lam Research from $165.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-seven have issued a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.35.
View Our Latest Report on LRCX
Lam Research Stock Down 1.6%
Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $5.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.23 billion. Lam Research had a net margin of 30.22% and a return on equity of 62.81%. The firm’s revenue was up 22.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.91 EPS. Lam Research has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.450 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Lam Research will post 3.71 EPS for the current year.
Lam Research Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 4th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Lam Research’s payout ratio is currently 21.31%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Lam Research news, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.03, for a total value of $11,214,269.71. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,081,705 shares in the company, valued at $242,334,371.15. This trade represents a 4.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Ava Harter sold 4,000 shares of Lam Research stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the insider directly owned 54,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,718,912.50. The trade was a 6.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 130,886 shares of company stock valued at $29,658,802 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lam Research
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Lam Research during the fourth quarter valued at $3,645,427,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Lam Research by 352.2% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,695,210 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,344,347,000 after buying an additional 10,666,540 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in shares of Lam Research by 781.3% in the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 11,340,865 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,518,542,000 after acquiring an additional 10,053,978 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position in Lam Research by 57.0% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 10,110,560 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,730,724,000 after acquiring an additional 3,671,073 shares during the period. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LLC lifted its position in Lam Research by 235.5% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,199,441 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $890,040,000 after acquiring an additional 3,649,553 shares during the period. 84.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Key Lam Research News
Here are the key news stories impacting Lam Research this week:
- Positive Sentiment: AI-driven demand positions Lam as a “pick-and-shovel” beneficiary — analysts note semiconductor equipment names like LRCX are surging as AI chip capex lifts long-term revenue potential. 2 AI Pick-and-Shovel Stocks Poised to Be the Next NVIDIA
- Positive Sentiment: Bullish fundamental coverage — Seeking Alpha highlights Lam’s strong margins, improved operating efficiency and positioning as a critical etch-equipment supplier to foundries, supporting longer-term growth expectations. Lam Research: Poised For Growth, Looking Past Short-Term Turbulence
- Positive Sentiment: Price-target lift: New Street Research raised its target to $235 (from $140) — signaling higher valuation potential even while keeping a neutral rating, which can underpin upside expectations. New Street adjusts price target on Lam Research to $235
- Neutral Sentiment: Corporate calendar: Lam set its March-quarter earnings conference call for April 22 — a near-term event that could drive volatility depending on guidance and commentary. Lam Research Corporation Announces March Quarter Financial Conference Call
- Neutral Sentiment: Notable investor moves: Coverage notes Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater trimmed its Lam stake — signals attention from large holders but not necessarily a directional verdict. Lam Research Corporation (LRCX): Billionaire Ray Dalio Trims Stake in Chip Stock
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade: Erste Group cut LRCX from “buy” to “hold,” adding near-term selling pressure as momentum investors react. Finviz: Analyst downgrade
- Negative Sentiment: Regulatory risk: U.S. lawmakers unveiled draft legislation to tighten exports of chipmaking tools to China — broader restrictions would reduce addressable markets for equipment suppliers and increase geopolitical uncertainty. US Lawmakers Propose Crackdown on Chip Tool Sales to China
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.
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