Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Lam Research Corporation $LRCX

Key Points

• Nippon Life Global Investors Americas reduced its stake in Lam Research by 6.7% in Q4, selling 15,860 shares and holding 219,470 shares worth about $37.6 million (≈1.6% of its portfolio).
• Lam Research beat Q3 estimates (EPS $1.47 vs $1.36; revenue $5.84B vs $5.70B), set strong FY guidance tied to AI demand, and prompted broad analyst target increases—consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $284.49 target.
• However, insiders have sold meaningful stock (130,886 shares worth roughly $29.7M in the last 90 days) and some commentators warn the stock’s valuation may be stretched, posing downside risk if growth misses expectations.

Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc. reduced its position in Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX - Free Report) by 6.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 219,470 shares of the semiconductor company's stock after selling 15,860 shares during the period. Lam Research accounts for about 1.6% of Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest position. Nippon Life Global Investors Americas Inc.'s holdings in Lam Research were worth $37,621,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC increased its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 1,032.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 14,189 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $1,025,000 after purchasing an additional 12,936 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in Lam Research in the 1st quarter worth $239,000. Gabelli Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Lam Research in the 2nd quarter worth $253,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Lam Research by 2.7% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 100,528 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $9,785,000 after acquiring an additional 2,661 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osterweis Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Lam Research by 5,206.7% in the 2nd quarter. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. now owns 796 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $77,000 after acquiring an additional 781 shares in the last quarter. 84.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lam Research Price Performance

Shares of LRCX opened at $267.78 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $334.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 50.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.78. Lam Research Corporation has a 12-month low of $68.53 and a 12-month high of $275.84. The company's 50-day moving average price is $234.99 and its 200 day moving average price is $198.63. The company has a current ratio of 2.54, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 22nd. The semiconductor company reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.36 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $5.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.70 billion. Lam Research had a net margin of 30.94% and a return on equity of 66.21%. Lam Research's revenue was up 23.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.04 EPS. Lam Research has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 1.500-1.800 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Lam Research Corporation will post 5.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 4th were issued a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 4th. Lam Research's payout ratio is 19.62%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LRCX has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Lam Research from $285.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Lam Research from $295.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on shares of Lam Research from $285.00 to $325.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Argus raised their price objective on shares of Lam Research from $175.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Susquehanna lifted their target price on shares of Lam Research from $350.00 to $385.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research note on Thursday. Twenty-six analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $284.49.

Lam Research News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q3 results beat expectations (EPS $1.47, revenue $5.84B) and management gave strong FY guidance tied to AI demand — investors view this as confirmation of a multi-year WFE upcycle. Earnings & press coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Major analysts have lifted price targets across the board (examples: TD Cowen $340, Susquehanna $385, JPMorgan $315, BofA $330), signaling upgraded revenue and margin forecasts driven by AI memory and logic chip spending. Analyst target upgrades
• Positive Sentiment: Several bank research notes reiterated buy/outperform ratings and sizable upside, reinforcing momentum and prompting institutional buyers to add exposure. Deutsche Bank price target raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad market action (Dow slip while Nasdaq gains) and strong moves in other chip names (Intel, AMD, Arm) contributed to sector flow into semiconductor-equipment names including LRCX. Market breadth coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Not all firms moved to buy: a few kept neutral/equal-weight stances (e.g., Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas), showing some analysts want to see more cycles of delivery before upgrading conviction. Morgan Stanley note
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns: commentary and analysis warn the stock reflects a lot of AI upside already — some investors may view multiple and momentum as stretched, which could amplify pullbacks on any growth-slow surprises. Valuation caution analysis

Insider Activity at Lam Research

In related news, insider Ava Harter sold 1,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $222.66, for a total value of $333,990.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 53,205 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,846,625.30. The trade was a 2.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Eric Brandt sold 35,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.60, for a total transaction of $7,896,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 253,705 shares in the company, valued at $57,235,848. This trade represents a 12.12% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 130,886 shares of company stock worth $29,658,802. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company's stock.

Lam Research 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.

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