Upgrades - Jefferies upgraded Onto Innovation (ONTO) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $170, up from $100, citing expected growth reacceleration in the second half of 2026 [2] - Bernstein upgraded United Rentals (URI) to Outperform from Market Perform with a price target of $1,128, up from $885, indicating a 20% upside from current levels, viewing it as a cyclical rebound and portfolio transition story [2] - Guggenheim upgraded Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $206, up from $167, expressing confidence in the company's navigation of Stelara's loss of exclusivity and anticipating growth from its Innovative Medicine business [3] - Wells Fargo upgraded Omnicom (OMC) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $91, up from $78, highlighting compelling upside potential near the close of the Interpublic Group merger [4] - Wells Fargo also upgraded CoreWeave (CRWV) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $170, up from $105, noting the company's positioning to benefit from elevated build cycles and hyperscaler industry shortages into 2026 [5] - Melius Research upgraded CoreWeave to Buy from Hold with a price target of $165, up from $128 [5] Downgrades - Baird downgraded Lululemon (LULU) to Neutral from Outperform with a price target of $195, down from $225, due to low near-term confidence in growth and margin trajectory [6] - KeyBanc downgraded Lam Research (LRCX) to Sector Weight from Overweight without a price target, believing strong memory pricing may take time to drive new tool demand [6] - Citizens JMP downgraded CyberArk (CYBR) to Market Perform from Outperform without a price target, citing the pending acquisition by Palo Alto Networks and not anticipating a superior proposal [6] - Seaport Research downgraded Oklo (OKLO) to Neutral from Buy without a price target, acknowledging positives in business development but stepping aside based on valuation [6] - Jefferies downgraded Vistra (VST) to Hold from Buy with a price target of $230, down from $241, following a 160% stock run-up attributed to expectations of a Comanche Peak nuclear deal [6]

Group 1 - KeyBanc Capital downgraded Lam Research's rating to Sector Weight [2] - The price target on the shares of Applied Materials was raised [2] - Shares of Lam Research fell about 2% on Tuesday [3] Group 2 - Applied Materials' stock was largely flat but in the green [3]

Group 1: Market Forecast Adjustments - Morgan Stanley revised the 2026 global Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) market size forecast from $122 billion (5% YoY growth) to $128 billion (10% YoY growth), primarily driven by the storage equipment sector [2] - The forecast for DRAM-related WFE was increased to $34.9 billion, nearing the optimistic expectation of $35 billion, while NAND flash-related WFE was raised to $13.8 billion, slightly below the $15 billion optimistic forecast [2] Group 2: Company Ratings and Predictions - Applied Materials' rating was upgraded to "Overweight" with a target price increase from $172 to $209, reflecting a significant valuation discount compared to Lam Research [3] - Lam Research's rating was raised to "Equal-weight" with a target price increase from $92 to $125, acknowledging a recovery in the storage market and an increase in 2026 EPS forecast from $5.12 to $5.43 [4] - KLA's rating was maintained at "Equal-weight," with a target price increase, but concerns were raised about its high valuation compared to peers, despite an increase in 2026 EPS forecast from $37.11 to $39.03 [5]

Core Viewpoint - Lam Research Corporation is a significant player in the semiconductor industry, specializing in equipment for integrated circuit fabrication, and competes with major companies like Applied Materials and KLA Corporation [1]. Group 1: Stock Performance - On September 22, 2025, KeyBanc downgraded Lam Research from an Overweight to a Sector Weight rating, reflecting a cautious outlook on the stock priced at $132.20 [2]. - Despite the downgrade, Lam Research has shown strong performance in the S&P 500, with a recent stock increase of 4.16%, translating to a price change of $5.28, and fluctuating between $129.16 and $132.62 [2]. - Over the past year, the stock reached a high of $132.63 and a low of $56.32, indicating significant growth [3]. Group 2: Market Position - Lam Research's market capitalization is approximately $167.3 billion, supported by a trading volume of 13.4 million shares, highlighting its strong position in the semiconductor industry [3]. - The company faces a crucial test to sustain its current momentum despite its substantial market cap [3].

Core Viewpoint - Morgan Stanley has revised its 2026 Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) market forecast and adjusted ratings for three key semiconductor equipment stocks, upgrading Applied Materials to "Overweight," Lam Research to "Equal-weight," and downgrading KLA to "Equal-weight" [1][2]. WFE Market Forecast - The global WFE market size forecast for 2026 has been raised from $122 billion (5% YoY growth) to $128 billion (10% YoY growth), primarily driven by the storage equipment sector [2]. - The forecast for DRAM-related WFE has been increased to $34.9 billion, nearing the optimistic expectation of $35 billion, while NAND flash-related WFE is raised to $13.8 billion, slightly below the optimistic forecast of $15 billion [2]. Applied Materials - Applied Materials' rating has been upgraded from "Neutral" to "Overweight," with the target price increased from $172 to $209 [2]. - The stock is currently valued 25% lower than Lam Research, with a historical average valuation gap of only 10% since 2023; the new target price suggests a narrowing of this discount to 15% [2]. - The expected earnings per share (EPS) for 2026 has been raised from $9.58 to $10.45, reflecting strong growth potential [2]. Lam Research - Lam Research's rating has been upgraded from "Underweight" to "Equal-weight," with the target price increased from $92 to $125 [3]. - The EPS forecast for 2026 has been adjusted from $5.12 to $5.43, acknowledging a recovery in the storage market [3]. - Despite a predicted 3% decline in WFE demand in the Chinese market, NAND-related WFE demand is expected to grow by 34%, and non-China logic chip WFE demand by 16% [3]. KLA - KLA's rating remains at "Equal-weight," with the EPS forecast for 2026 raised from $37.11 to $39.03, indicating recognition of its strong fundamentals [4]. - However, KLA's valuation is currently 30% higher than that of Applied Materials and Lam Research, raising concerns about the sustainability of its relative performance advantage [4].

Core Viewpoint - Morgan Stanley has revised its 2026 Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) market forecast and adjusted ratings for three key semiconductor equipment stocks, raising Applied Materials to "Overweight," Lam Research to "Equal-weight," and lowering KLA to "Equal-weight" [1] Group 1: WFE Market Forecast - The global WFE market size forecast for 2026 has been increased from $122 billion (5% year-on-year growth) to $128 billion (10% year-on-year growth), primarily driven by the storage equipment sector [2] - The forecast for DRAM-related WFE has been raised to $34.9 billion, nearing the optimistic expectation of $35 billion, while NAND flash-related WFE is adjusted to $13.8 billion, slightly below the optimistic forecast of $15 billion [2] - Analysts expect stronger DRAM prices to lead to more aggressive DRAM capital expenditure plans, while improvements in NAND flash capital expenditure may experience some lag [2] Group 2: Applied Materials - Morgan Stanley upgraded Applied Materials' rating from "Equal-weight" to "Overweight" and raised the target price from $172 to $209 [3] - The current valuation of Applied Materials is 25% lower than Lam Research, with a target price adjustment indicating a narrowing of this discount to 15% [3] - The 2026 earnings per share (EPS) forecast for Applied Materials has been increased from $9.58 to $10.45, reflecting strong growth potential [3] Group 3: Lam Research - Lam Research's rating has been upgraded from "Underweight" to "Equal-weight," with the target price raised from $92 to $125 [4] - The 2026 EPS forecast for Lam Research has been increased from $5.12 to $5.43, acknowledging a recovery in the storage market [4] - Despite a predicted 3% decline in WFE demand from the Chinese market, NAND-related WFE demand is expected to grow by 34%, and non-China logic chip WFE demand is projected to increase by 16% [4] Group 4: KLA - KLA's strong fundamentals are acknowledged, with significant growth drivers from TSMC, DRAM, and advanced packaging businesses [5] - However, KLA's valuation is currently 30% higher than that of Applied Materials and Lam Research, raising concerns about the sustainability of its relative performance advantage [5] - The 2026 EPS forecast for KLA has been increased from $37.11 to $39.03, indicating recognition of its strong fundamentals [6]

Group 1 - Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) has experienced a 4.16% increase in stock price, marking its fourteenth consecutive day of gains, with a total rise of 36.25% over the past 14 days, reaching its highest price since October 2024 [1] - The company is a leader in the semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment industry, focusing on advanced products and services that help clients manufacture smaller and more efficient electronic devices [1][2] - Strong global demand for semiconductors is driving new opportunities in the industry, supported by continuous technological advancements and increased electronic product applications [1] Group 2 - Lam Research's diverse product line and robust customer base are key to its success, providing integrated hardware and software solutions that enhance customer production capabilities and create stable revenue streams for the company [2] - The current market demand for semiconductor equipment is strong, and the company's focus on technological innovation and market expansion lays a solid foundation for future growth [2] - The semiconductor industry is expanding, and Lam Research is expected to maintain its leading position in the market, making it a potential investment opportunity for those optimistic about the sector's development [2]

Group 1 - Lam Research Inc. stock is currently trading at $132.60, reflecting a 4.48% increase, with a 27.57% rise over the past month and a 67.12% increase over the past year [1] - Long-term shareholders are optimistic about the stock's performance, while some investors are concerned about the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio indicating potential overvaluation [1] Group 2 - The P/E ratio is a measure of the current share price relative to the company's earnings per share (EPS), used by long-term investors to assess performance against historical data and industry benchmarks [5] - A higher P/E ratio suggests that investors expect better future performance, which may indicate overvaluation, but it can also reflect a willingness to pay a premium for anticipated growth [5] Group 3 - Lam Research Inc. has a P/E ratio of 30.58, which is lower than the industry average of 115.86 in the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment sector, potentially indicating that the stock may be undervalued or expected to perform worse than peers [6] - A lower P/E ratio can suggest undervaluation but may also imply that shareholders do not anticipate future growth, highlighting the need for a comprehensive analysis beyond just the P/E ratio [9]

Group 1 - The trend in the chip-equipment sector has led to Lam Research Corp. being a standout stock performer in the S&P 500 this year [1] - Lam Research Corp.'s stock has shown a significant increase, ranking highly among its peers [1]

Upgrades Summary - TD Cowen upgraded Paycom (PAYC) to Buy from Hold with a price target of $258, increased from $246, citing positive indications from its 2025 human capital management survey and recent commentary on capex expectations [2] - Morgan Stanley upgraded Applied Materials (AMAT) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $209, up from $172, revising its 2026 wafer fab equipment sales forecast from up 5% year-over-year to up 10%, primarily in memory [2] - Morgan Stanley also upgraded Lam Research (LRCX) to Equal Weight from Underweight with a price target of $125, increased from $92 [2] - Evercore ISI upgraded Repligen (REGN) to Outperform from In Line with a price target of $155, up from $130, believing the bioprocessing solutions market is relatively insulated from macro headwinds and returning to high-single-digit growth [2] - Wells Fargo upgraded Brinker (EAT) to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $175, up from $165, noting poor investor sentiment but highlighting turnaround momentum and undervaluation [2] - UBS upgraded FactSet (FDS) to Buy from Neutral with a price target of $425, down from $480, stating that the company's "sticky franchise" is underappreciated at current share levels [2]