Lam Research Remains Top Pick Despite China Risks, Says Analyst

Core Viewpoint - Lam Research Corporation is expected to experience significant growth in 2026, driven by strong demand for advanced foundry, DRAM, and NAND upgrades, despite challenges related to China [1] Group 1: Company Performance - Lam Research was identified as the top pick in the semiconductor equipment sector by Bank of America Securities analyst Vivek Arya, who maintains a Buy rating and sets a price forecast of $165 [2] - The company reported September quarter results and provided a December quarter outlook that exceeded Wall Street expectations, despite facing an estimated $200 million headwind from new China rules [3] Group 2: Market Growth Projections - The analyst projected that Lam's business excluding China can grow by more than 20% in 2026, driven by leading-edge foundry, logic, and DRAM customers [5] - Lam's equipment sales are expected to grow approximately four times faster than the overall Wafer Fab Equipment (WFE) market in 2025 [5][6] Group 3: Margin Expansion - There is a clear path for Lam to expand its gross margins to over 50%, which is favorable compared to key rival Applied Materials, Inc., whose margins may remain in the high-40% range [6] - Recent AI-related deals are expected to support the company's ambitious financial targets in the long term [6]