Core Viewpoint - Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) has experienced significant stock performance, driven by the AI boom and strong demand for its wafer fabrication equipment, reaching a 52-week high of $173.58 [1][10]. Stock Performance - Year-to-date, Lam Research shares have increased by 138.5%, significantly outperforming the Zacks Electronics – Semiconductors industry growth of 38.2% [2]. - Compared to major semiconductor manufacturing tool providers, LRCX has outperformed KLA Corporation (KLAC), Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT), and ASML Holding (ASML), which saw stock increases of 97.7%, 57.6%, and 52.3%, respectively [2]. Demand Drivers - The company is benefiting from the rising demand for AI and data center chips, which require advanced fabrication technologies [6]. - In 2024, shipments for gate-all-around nodes and advanced packaging exceeded $1 billion, with expectations to triple to over $3 billion by 2025 [7]. Financial Performance - Lam Research reported a 28% revenue growth year-over-year, reaching $5.32 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2% [11]. - Non-GAAP earnings for the first quarter were $1.26 per share, exceeding consensus estimates by 4.1%, with a year-over-year increase of 46.5% [12]. - The operating margin improved to 35%, up 410 basis points from the previous year, aided by cost controls and expansion in Asia [12]. Future Growth Expectations - Analysts project continued growth, with Zacks Consensus Estimates indicating a year-over-year revenue increase of 14.1% for fiscal 2026 and 12.3% for fiscal 2027 [14]. - Earnings per share are expected to grow by 15.7% and 16.5% for fiscal 2026 and 2027, respectively [14]. Valuation - Despite the strong year-to-date performance, LRCX trades at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 33.34, slightly below the industry average of 33.80 [15]. - Compared to major semiconductor equipment providers, LRCX has a lower P/E multiple than ASML but is at a premium to KLAC and AMAT [18]. Investment Recommendation - Lam Research's solid financial performance, focus on AI-driven growth, and reasonable valuation make it a compelling investment option [19].

Core Viewpoint - Lam Research (LRCX) shares experienced a significant increase of 4.6% to $172.27, driven by strong trading volume and positive revisions in target prices from financial research firms due to rising demand for wafer fabrication equipment used in AI and high-performance computing chips [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Lam Research is projected to report quarterly earnings of $1.15 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 26.4%, with expected revenues of $5.22 billion, up 19.2% from the previous year [2] - The consensus EPS estimate for Lam Research has remained stable over the last 30 days, indicating that the stock's price movement may not sustain without changes in earnings estimate revisions [3] Group 2: Industry Context - Lam Research is part of the Zacks Electronics - Semiconductors industry, which includes Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. (ALGM), whose shares rose 1.1% to $26.7 and have returned 15.9% over the past month [3] - Allegro MicroSystems has an unchanged consensus EPS estimate of $0.14, representing a 100% increase compared to the previous year's EPS, and currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [4]

Group 1: Lam Research Corp (LRCX) - Lam Research Corp has been a strong performer among large-cap semiconductor stocks, with shares trading at $172.27, up 137% year to date [2] - The rally is driven by a recovery in wafer fabrication equipment spending, estimated to reach about $105 billion in 2025, significantly up from the previous year [4] - Lam's focus on deposition and etch tools for advanced logic and memory manufacturing has positioned it favorably amid increased capital spending by chipmakers targeting artificial intelligence and high-performance computing [4] - The company has consistently beaten earnings expectations, with revenue growth accelerating into the high single-digit to low double-digit range year over year, and operating margins remaining above 30% [5] - Lam's free cash flow reached $5.4 billion in fiscal 2025, approximately 29% of revenue, indicating strong internal cash generation [5] - Cramer has noted Lam's valuation as attractive, describing the shares as inexpensive relative to their earnings power and industry position [6] Group 2: Expedia Group (EXPE) - Expedia Group has provided significant shareholder value in 2025, benefiting from a recovery in travel demand and improved operational performance, with shares trading at $289.25, up 56% year to date [7] - The company reported revenue of $4.41 billion in Q3 2025, a 9% year-over-year increase, and adjusted earnings per share of $7.57, reflecting a 23% increase from the prior year [10] - Gross bookings rose approximately 12% to $30.73 billion, and booked room nights increased by 11% to 108.2 million, indicating sustained consumer engagement [11] - Cramer highlighted Expedia's relative valuation, noting it trades at a lower earnings multiple compared to competitors like Booking Holdings, which supports interest in the stock despite industry challenges [10]

17 December 2025 U.S. Semiconductors and Semiconductor Capital Equipment Bernstein Semi Cycle Tearsheet: Why overcomplicate it? Stacy A. Rasgon, Ph.D. +1 213 559 5917 stacy.rasgon@bernsteinsg.com Alrick Shaw +1 917 344 8454 alrick.shaw@bernsteinsg.com Arpad von Nemes +1 917 344 8461 arpad.vonnemes@bernsteinsg.com How quickly narratives shift…The steam has come out of the AI trade in recent months as investors more fully wonder when the music might stop (or if we're there already). Memory has come off of one ...

We recently published 10 Firms Stealing the Show on Wall Street. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is one of the best performers on Thursday. Lam Research snapped a two-day losing streak on Thursday, jumping 6.27 percent to close at $164.70 apiece as investor sentiment was boosted by bullish ratings and price target upgrades for the stock. In separate market reports on the same day, investment firm Mizuho and B. Riley raised their price targets for the company to $200 and $195, respectively. Lam Re ...

Group 1 - Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh raised the price target on Lam Research (LRCX) to $200 from $170, maintaining an Outperform rating on the shares [1] - The firm anticipates upside to 2026 based on fab equipment estimates [1] - The improving wafer fabrication equipment (WFE) outlook is seen as positive for Lam Research [1]

AI chip stocks haven’t had the smoothest of rides lately, but Bank of America believes the bigger trend driving them is intact. In doing so, the investment bank's analysts are putting familiar names at the top of their AI stocks to buy list for 2026. Nvidia (NVDA), Broadcom (AVGO), and Lam Research (LRCX) are BofA’s three headline picks, as it argues that the powerful AI spending boom is still in its early innings. For perspective, four of the biggest tech giants in Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta ...

Key Takeaways LRCX posted a 48.3% YoY jump in Systems revenues to $3.55B, with foundry sales rising to 60% of the total.LRCX gains from AI and HPC-led investments, supported by its strength in critical etch and deposition tools.LRCX is seeing traction for Aether EUV and Akara systems, with FY26 Systems revenues projected at $14.07B.Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) is seeing growing support from artificial intelligence (AI)-driven demand in the foundry market, which is becoming a key driver of its systems rev ...

Automated semiconductor fabrication machine handling a glowing silicon wafer. Key Points Applied Materials and Lam Research manufacture the specialized equipment needed to create next-generation logic and memory chips. These companies offer investors a stable entry point into the artificial intelligence sector through recurring revenue streams and consistent shareholder returns. The transition to complex new chip architectures creates a long-term growth opportunity for the leading suppliers of wafer fa ...

深入来看，美银表示 AI 竞赛仍处于"早期到中期阶段"，尽管英伟达、博通等股票近期出现波动，但投 资者应关注行业领导者。 至于模拟芯片领域，美国银行的分析师表示，投资者应该"保持选择性"，因为他们对行业好转持怀疑态 度。"平淡的宏观环境(工业 PMI < 50)、汽车产量下降、中国竞争加剧以及消费需求低迷，使得模拟芯 片投资艰难，"分析师补充道。 智通财经APP获悉，美国银行认为，在人工智能支出热潮仍有很长一段发展期的信念下，英伟达 (NVDA.US)、博通 (AVGO.US) 和泛林集团(LRCX.US)是其 2026 年最值得持有的半导体股票之一。 2026 年其他新兴主题包括共封装光学、机器人技术和量子计算。其中，Lumentum (LITE.US) 和 Coherent (COHR.US) 被视为共封装光学领域的领导者。分析师补充说，白宫在 2026 年对机器人技术的 关注应该会使泰瑞达受益。最后，量子计算仍被视为一个"新兴的机会"，尽管它具有长期的影响。 该公司预测，在"强劲的数据中心利用率、供应紧张、企业采用以及 LLM 开发者、超大规模云服务商 和主权客户之间的竞争"的推动下，AI 半导体将迎来 ...