Lam Research Corporation $LRCX Holdings Trimmed by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. reduced its stake in shares of Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) by 3.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,983,269 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock after selling 70,798 shares during the quarter. Lam Research makes up about 0.6% of Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings, making the stock its 20th biggest holding. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Lam Research were worth $650,233,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Paladin Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lam Research during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. William Mack & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Lam Research during the third quarter valued at about $25,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA bought a new position in Lam Research in the third quarter worth about $33,000. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. raised its stake in Lam Research by 100.0% in the third quarter. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. now owns 100 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bravera Wealth purchased a new stake in Lam Research in the second quarter worth about $46,000. 84.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Lam Research

In related 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 value of $1,512,300.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 42,462 shares in the company, valued at $12,843,056.52. This represents a 10.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 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 transaction, the director directly owned 20,995 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,607,966.30. This trade represents a 31.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 14,573 shares of company stock valued at $4,523,606 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Lam Research Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of Lam Research stock opened at $233.78 on Friday. Lam Research Corporation has a 1 year low of $135.50 and a 1 year high of $438.50. The firm has a market cap of $292.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.84, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.97. The company has a 50-day moving average of $279.00 and a 200 day moving average of $283.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.48 and a quick ratio of 1.86.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 21st. The semiconductor company reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.18 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $8.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.14 billion. Lam Research had a net margin of 32.34% and a return on equity of 72.15%. Lam Research’s quarterly revenue was up 54.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.26 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lam Research Corporation will post 9.60 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, November 5th that authorizes the company to repurchase $25 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the semiconductor company to repurchase up to 9% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

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

Key Lam Research News

Investors following LRCX have been watching these news items:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo lifted its view on U.S. AI infrastructure to neutral from negative after a sector selloff. Lam was also included among AI stocks to consider, while Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon reportedly remains positive despite the stock’s steep recent decline. This may help bolster confidence in demand for semiconductor equipment tied to AI. Lam Research article
• 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LRCX has been the topic of several research reports. HSBC reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $333.00 price objective on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Evercore set a $315.00 target price on Lam Research in a research report on Tuesday, October 20th. Mizuho lowered their target price on Lam Research from $365.00 to $360.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 22nd. Berenberg Bank set a $420.00 price target on Lam Research in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Lam Research from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Twenty-six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lam Research currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $357.57.

Lam Research Profile

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.