Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. Makes New $5.04 Million Investment in Lam Research Corporation $LRCX

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 11,626 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,038,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Bayban bought a new stake in Lam Research during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Vermillion Wealth Management Inc. bought a new position in Lam Research in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lam Research by 242.9% during the 1st quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 120 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Paladin Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lam Research during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Mcguire Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Lam Research during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. 84.61% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Lam Research

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lam Research broke ground on a 120,000-square-foot Oregon semiconductor laboratory as part of a planned investment of more than $3 billion in its global lab network over five years. The project is intended to accelerate process innovations for advanced AI chips and improve collaboration with customers, supporting the company’s long-term growth prospects. Lam Research breaks ground on AI semiconductor lab in Oregon
• Positive Sentiment: The board approved a 27% increase in the quarterly dividend, from $0.26 to $0.33 per share. The payout is scheduled for October 14, 2026, for shareholders of record on September 23, providing a modest shareholder-return signal. Lam Research Corporation Announces a 27% Increase in Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Lam’s latest earnings exceeded consensus expectations, with quarterly earnings per share of $1.82 versus the $1.69 estimate and revenue of $6.72 billion. Revenue increased 30% year over year, while management issued fiscal first-quarter 2027 EPS guidance of $2.00 to $2.30. Analysts’ median price target remains substantially above recent trading levels, although Mizuho recently lowered its target to $365.
• Neutral Sentiment: Two long-serving directors, Michael R. Cannon and Sohail U. Ahmed, plan to retire from the board on November 2, 2026. The transition could refresh governance but introduces some near-term uncertainty regarding board composition. Lam Research Announces Retirement of Michael R. Cannon and Sohail U. Ahmed from Board of Directors
• Negative Sentiment: Investors appear increasingly concerned about tariffs, export restrictions and other U.S.-China trade measures. China was Lam’s largest geographic market in fiscal 2026, making the company particularly sensitive to policy changes that could reduce demand, hurt margins or disrupt its supply chain. These macro concerns have overshadowed the dividend increase and Oregon expansion. Lam Research Slides as China Trade Risk Appears to Outweigh Dividend Hike
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider activity shows selling rather than buying by executives and directors over the past six months, which may reinforce caution among investors, though such transactions can reflect personal financial planning rather than a view on company fundamentals.

Insider Activity at Lam Research

In other news, Director Abhijit Y. Talwalkar sold 18,282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, July 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $335.00, for a total value of $6,124,470.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 87,142 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $29,192,570. This trade represents a 17.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Eric Brandt sold 54,500 shares of Lam Research stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 11th. The shares were 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 approximately $69,881,114. This trade represents a 21.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 80,441 shares of company stock worth $27,614,296. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on LRCX shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $320.00 price target on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Lam Research from $370.00 to $365.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Seaport Research Partners initiated coverage on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Monday, May 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $300.00 target price on the stock. B. Riley Financial reduced their target price on shares of Lam Research from $385.00 to $350.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $400.00 price target (up from $330.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Monday, June 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-six have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $357.31.

Lam Research Price Performance

NASDAQ LRCX opened at $301.90 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $377.77 billion, a PE ratio of 52.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.26 and a beta of 1.84. Lam Research Corporation has a 52 week low of $94.11 and a 52 week high of $438.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.91, a current ratio of 2.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $330.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $289.14.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The semiconductor company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.13. Lam Research had a net margin of 31.27% and a return on equity of 67.60%. The firm had revenue of $6.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.33 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 30.0% on a year-over-year basis. Lam Research has set its Q1 2027 guidance at 2.000-2.300 EPS. Research analysts predict that Lam Research Corporation will post 9.32 earnings per share for the current year.

Lam Research Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 14th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 23rd will be paid a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 23rd. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. This is a positive change from Lam Research’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.06%.

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.