Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) Shares Gap Up – Still a Buy?

Posted by Stanley Muller on Jul 21st, 2026

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $306.76, but opened at $328.13. Lam Research shares last traded at $314.9960, with a volume of 1,456,615 shares traded.

Key Lam Research News

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

Positive Sentiment: Lam Research was named as a beneficiary of AI-driven chip demand, with Zacks highlighting the semiconductor industry’s growth from advanced packaging and memory demand. Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Applied Materials, Lam Research and FormFactor
Positive Sentiment: The company joined the AI Materials Foundry as a founding partner, a collaboration aimed at accelerating advanced materials discovery for semiconductors using AI, which could strengthen its position in next-generation chip development. Lam Research (LRCX) Joins AI Materials Foundry To Help Shape Future Chip Materials
Positive Sentiment: Lam Research was included on Oppenheimer’s “best of the best” momentum list, suggesting institutional confidence in the stock’s relative strength. Oppenheimer’s ‘best of the best’ momentum list: NVDA, LRCX and more
Positive Sentiment: Brokerage coverage continues to lean constructive, with Lam Research carrying a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating. Lam Research Corporation Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages
Positive Sentiment: Several Zacks screens identified Lam Research as a possible earnings-surprise candidate this season, which can support the stock if results beat expectations. 4 Top-Ranked Tech Stocks Set to Beat Expectations This Earnings Season
Neutral Sentiment: Lam Research was also mentioned in a Zacks industry outlook as one of several semiconductor names benefiting from AI demand, reinforcing the bullish industry backdrop. 3 Stocks to Buy From the Prospering Semiconductor Industry
Negative Sentiment: The stock recently fell more than the broader market in the latest session, reflecting near-term pressure on shares. Lam Research (LRCX) Dips More Than Broader Market: What You Should Know
Negative Sentiment: Semiconductor stocks have entered a bear market, raising concerns that the AI-led rally may be losing momentum and pressuring LRCX along with the rest of the group. Semiconductor stocks enter bear market: Is bubble burst next?
Negative Sentiment: A broader tech selloff has also increased skepticism around AI spending, which may weigh on semiconductor equipment stocks like Lam Research. Big Tech Needs to Justify AI Spending as Investors Dump Stocks

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on LRCX. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Lam Research from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, May 10th. B. Riley Financial raised their target price on Lam Research from $350.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Lam Research from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price target on Lam Research from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $290.00 price target on shares of Lam Research in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $360.51.

Read Our Latest Research Report on LRCX

Lam Research Trading Up 4.6%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $339.79 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $270.54. The stock has a market cap of $401.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.59, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.77, a current ratio of 2.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The semiconductor company reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.36 by $0.11. Lam Research had a return on equity of 66.21% and a net margin of 30.94%.The company had revenue of $5.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.70 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.04 EPS. Lam Research’s revenue was up 23.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Lam Research has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.500-1.800 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Lam Research Corporation will post 5.68 EPS for the current year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th were given a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, June 17th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.3%. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.62%.

Insider Transactions at Lam Research

In other news, Director Eric Brandt sold 54,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.80, for a total value of $19,118,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 199,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $69,881,114. This represents a 21.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Abhijit Y. Talwalkar sold 18,282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $29,192,570. This trade represents a 17.34% decrease in their position. 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 104,621 shares of company stock valued at $33,804,737 over the last three months. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lam Research

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LRCX. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac purchased a new stake in shares of Lam Research in the 4th quarter worth about $10,035,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC raised its stake in Lam Research by 62.0% in the fourth quarter. Generali Investments Management Co LLC now owns 36,274 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $6,209,000 after buying an additional 13,878 shares in the last quarter. Aware Super Pty Ltd as trustee of Aware Super purchased a new stake in Lam Research in the first quarter worth about $59,973,000. Krilogy Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Lam Research by 19.5% in the first quarter. Krilogy Financial LLC now owns 28,111 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $6,006,000 after buying an additional 4,584 shares during the period. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new stake in Lam Research during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,489,000. 84.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Lam Research Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.