4 Semiconductor Stocks Earning Fresh Wall Street Upgrades

Key Points

• Wall Street just got proven wrong by these four chip stocks, prompting substantial price target increases.
• Huge names in chip-making equipment and software are among those that analysts see upside in.
• Monolithic Power Systems beat expectations once again, helping shares gain double digits after earnings.

Over the past weeks, important players in the semiconductor industry have reported earnings, with several names putting Wall Street estimates to shame. This caused analysts to lift their price targets significantly. 

These updates hint that the semiconductor rally may still have legs, especially as end-market demand improves and long-term themes like AI and automation remain intact. Below, we highlight four companies whose recent earnings and revised analyst outlooks stand out.

Latest Targets Significantly Boost Lam’s Implied Upside

First up is semiconductor manufacturing equipment giant Lam Research NASDAQ: LRCX, which released earnings on July 30. The company posted big beats on both sales and adjusted earnings per share (EPS). However, shares still fell more than 4% afterward as worries remain around the company’s business in China. This didn’t deter Wall Street from issuing significant upgrades.

MarketBeat tracked nearly ten analysts who lifted their targets on July 31 and Aug. 1. On average, these analysts increased their price targets by more than $10. Overall, the MarketBeat consensus price target on Lam is around $107, implying around 9% upside.

However, the average target among those analysts who updated their forecasts is nearly $113. This figure indicates substantially more upside, suggesting shares could rise nearly 15%. TD Cowen is notably one of the stock’s biggest bulls. Their $125 target implies 27% upside potential in this chip equipment stalwart.

PI Surges +25% on Earnings, European Law Is a Big Potential Tailwind

Next is Impinj NASDAQ: PI. This company makes small chips and related devices that help track the movement of goods. This helps customers with things like inventory management and theft prevention.

Impinj blew past expectations in Q2, causing shares to gain by a whopping 26% on July 31. MarketBeat also tracked several analysts who lifted their targets on the stock on July 31, doing so by an average of 30%. However, analysts seem to believe that the market has now priced in the stock’s gain.

The MarketBeat consensus price target in Impinj is around $163, indicating shares are fairly valued. Still, Impinj has a key tailwind that could allow it to deliver significant upside longer-term: the European Union’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) law. The DPP legislation requires that every product sold or made in the region is trackable throughout its lifecycle.

Impinj’s technology could help companies comply, especially in its number one market: textiles. The law starts applying to textiles in 2027, which could drive big-time sales for Impinj.

MPWR Is No Stranger to Proving Wall Street Wrong

Monolithic Power Systems NASDAQ: MPWR shined in Q2. The company delivered better-than-expected results on the top line, bottom line, and guidance. This led shares to surge more than 10% on Aug. 1. All but one analyst tracked by MarketBeat boosted their price target on the stock in August.

Overall, these analysts increased their price targets by an average of $42. The average price target among those who issued updates comes in at $850, moderately higher than the stock’s $838 consensus target. The updated $850 target implies around 2.3% upside. However, opinions range widely.

Wells Fargo’s $750 target suggests around 10% downside, while KeyCorp’s $950 target implies over 14% upside potential. Still, Monolithic has delivered far above the upside that Wall Street previously forecasted. On May 7, Wall Street only saw 14% upside in shares. However, since that point, the stock has provided a total return of nearly 31%.

Additionally, MPWR has seen its shares rise after nine out of its last 12 earnings releases. It’s not crazy to think the company could continue to outperform Wall Street expectations.

Cadence Delivers in Q2, Gets Notable Upgrades

Electronic automation design software company Cadence Design Systems NASDAQ: CDNS has also seen a notable boost in sentiment. In Q2, the company beat expectations on sales, adjusted EPS, and raised its full-year guidance.

This helped shares post a nearly 10% gain on July 29, and MarketBeat tracked several analysts who raised their price targets.

The MarketBeat consensus target on Cadence is just $364, almost exactly equal to the stock’s closing price on Aug. 4. However, focusing on price targets updated after earnings changes the picture.

The average target among those analysts is $389, implying nearly 7% upside. 

Although not groundbreaking, it is certainly a big improvement over the consensus forecast.

Analysts Recalibrate as Chip Stocks Outperform Expectations

Overall, these four names are clearly moving in the right direction. Their latest results showed that Wall Street underestimated them, and analysts are now scrambling to raise their price targets. While Monolithic’s track record of topping expectations stands out, the rest of the group is also showing signs of strength.

Impinj has a long-term tailwind that could prove its recent rally is just the beginning. Lam’s weakness on earnings day may have been overdone. And Cadence is back on the radar after another solid beat. If these trends continue, analysts may still be playing catch-up.