Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Sets New 12-Month High After Analyst Upgrade

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)’s share price reached a new 52-week high on Thursday after Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on the stock from $160.00 to $250.00. Stifel Nicolaus currently has a buy rating on the stock. Lam Research traded as high as $229.57 and last traded at $221.0430, with a volume of 2970122 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $208.79.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on LRCX. HSBC set a $127.00 price target on Lam Research and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $200.00 price objective (up from $175.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Bank of America raised their price objective on Lam Research from $195.00 to $245.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Evercore ISI upped their target price on Lam Research from $115.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Finally, Susquehanna reiterated a “positive” rating and set a $250.00 price target on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Monday. Twenty-eight analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $183.68.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Bethany Mayer sold 1,298 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $159.99, for a total value of $207,667.02. Following the transaction, the director owned 1,652 shares in the company, valued at approximately $264,303.48. This trade represents a 44.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ava Harter sold 9,010 shares of Lam Research stock in a transaction on Monday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.47, for a total transaction of $1,418,804.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 56,786 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,942,091.42. The trade was a 13.69% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 50,418 shares of company stock valued at $7,667,305 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Lam Research News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights LRCX’s 165% one‑year surge driven by booming AI demand, strong revenue and expanding margins — reinforces momentum and buy-side interest. Lam Research Soars 165% in a Year: Is LRCX Stock Still a Buy?
• Positive Sentiment: Barron’s reports chip-equipment names including Lam are rallying as TSMC’s heavy spending lifts demand for machinery — a direct revenue catalyst for LRCX. ASML, Lam Research, Applied Materials Surge. Why Chip Stocks Are Getting a Boost.
• Positive Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target to $245 — a near‑term valuation support that can lift investor confidence and multiple expansion. Bank of America Increases Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Price Target to $245.00
• Positive Sentiment: Stifel boosted its price target to $250 and reiterated a Buy, signaling stronger analyst conviction and providing additional buy‑side rationale. LRCX – Lam Research price target raised by at Stifel — here’s why
• Positive Sentiment: Stifel also notes WFE (wafer fab equipment) spending could grow up to 15% in 2026 — a favorable industry tailwind for Lam’s order book. WFE spending forecast to grow up to 15% in 2026: Stifel
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage on bullish inflows into LRCX since September highlights strong institutional participation that can amplify rallies. See How Bullish Inflows Boost Lam Research
• Positive Sentiment: Seeking Alpha’s podcast flagged TSMC and Lam Research as catalysts for an early market rally — increased media attention can attract momentum flows. Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: TSMC, Lam Research Spark Early Market Rally
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes LRCX hit a 52‑week high — technical breakout that often attracts momentum traders and quant flows. Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Neutral Sentiment: Intraday note: LRCX recently had a larger single‑day dip than the broader market in one session — a reminder of higher volatility even amid an uptrend. Lam Research (LRCX) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks warns Lam’s China revenue could fall below 30% in 2026 due to export curbs — a geopolitical/customer-concentration risk that could pressure growth or margins. Will LRCX’s China Revenue Drop Below 30% Hurt 2026 Growth Outlook?

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lam Research

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 0.3% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 130,974,214 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $17,537,447,000 after purchasing an additional 364,949 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its position in Lam Research by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 59,817,352 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $8,024,684,000 after purchasing an additional 265,805 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in Lam Research by 14.4% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 40,622,437 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,954,188,000 after purchasing an additional 5,102,589 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Lam Research by 3.5% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 33,802,736 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,280,484,000 after buying an additional 1,135,405 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. grew its position in shares of Lam Research by 18.2% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 21,182,948 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,836,397,000 after buying an additional 3,263,658 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.61% of the company’s stock.

Lam Research Trading Up 5.8%

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 stock has a market capitalization of $277.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.77. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $169.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $135.54.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The semiconductor company reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $5.32 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.23 billion. Lam Research had a return on equity of 60.60% and a net margin of 29.66%.The firm’s revenue was up 27.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. Lam Research has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.050-1.250 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Lam Research Corporation will post 3.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, December 3rd were given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 3rd. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) 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.