Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) Short Interest Down 20.7% in February

17 Mar 2026, 23:56 by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets Daily

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 26,107,698 shares, a decrease of 20.7% from the February 12th total of 32,943,284 shares. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 8,701,846 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.0 days. Based on an average daily volume of 8,701,846 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.0 days. Currently, 2.1% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Key Lam Research News

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

Positive Sentiment: Analysts and industry pieces note accelerating DRAM and AI-related memory spending that should lift demand for Lam’s wafer‑fab equipment; Morgan Stanley recently raised Lam’s price target to $254 (while keeping an Equal Weight). What Does DRAM Memory Spending Trend Mean for Lam Research (LRCX)
Positive Sentiment: Investor letters and fund commentary cite a demand uptick for Lam’s equipment tied to AI chip production, signaling stronger order momentum that can drive near‑term revenue and margin expansion. Lam Research (LCRX) Gained From Strong Demand Uptick
Positive Sentiment: Brokerage consensus sits at a “Moderate Buy,” reflecting broad analyst conviction that Lam will benefit from secular AI/ memory trends and improving bookings. This institutional backing supports investor confidence. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages
Positive Sentiment: Sector commentary points to AI’s next bottleneck — manufacturing capacity and advanced memory — which favors equipment suppliers like Lam as customers ramp fab investments. This thematic tailwind is helping lift multiple chip‑equipment names. AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Driving These Stocks Higher
Neutral Sentiment: Opinion pieces and buy/sell guides summarize bullish theses (valuation, margins, AI exposure) but are mixed on timing; useful for longer‑term conviction but less actionable for short‑term moves. Is Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) A Good Stock To Buy Now?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on LRCX. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Lam Research in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Needham & Company LLC upped their price target on Lam Research from $250.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Summit Insights upgraded Lam Research from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on Lam Research from $225.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $290.00 target price (up from $260.00) on shares of Lam Research in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-eight have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Lam Research currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.35.

Get Our Latest Analysis on LRCX

Lam Research Stock Up 3.2%

Shares of Lam Research stock traded up $7.07 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $226.47. The company had a trading volume of 10,016,134 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,006,387. The company’s 50-day moving average is $225.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $174.48. The company has a market cap of $282.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.77. Lam Research has a twelve month low of $56.32 and a twelve month high of $256.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 2.26 and a quick ratio of 1.61.

Lam Research (NASDAQ:LRCX – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The semiconductor company reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $5.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.23 billion. Lam Research had a return on equity of 62.81% and a net margin of 30.22%.The business’s revenue was up 22.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.91 earnings per share. Lam Research has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 1.250-1.450 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Lam Research will post 3.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Lam Research Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 4th. Lam Research’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.31%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Eric Brandt sold 35,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.60, for a total value of $7,896,000.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 253,705 shares in the company, valued at approximately $57,235,848. The trade was a 12.12% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.03, for a total transaction of $11,214,269.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 1,081,705 shares in the company, valued at $242,334,371.15. The trade was a 4.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 130,886 shares of company stock valued at $29,658,802. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lam Research

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Lam Research in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,645,427,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 352.2% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 13,695,210 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,344,347,000 after purchasing an additional 10,666,540 shares during the period. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Lam Research by 781.3% during the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 11,340,865 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,518,542,000 after purchasing an additional 10,053,978 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 14.4% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 40,622,437 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,954,188,000 after purchasing an additional 5,102,589 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lam Research by 57.0% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 10,110,560 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,730,724,000 after purchasing an additional 3,671,073 shares during the period. 84.61% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lam Research

(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.