Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ: LRCX) is back in focus on Monday, December 15, 2025, after an analyst-driven catalyst helped push the semiconductor-equipment stock higher in early trading. Shares were up roughly 2.5% around late morning, trading near $164.5. [1]
The move follows fresh sell-side commentary and comes after a volatile stretch for “AI-adjacent” hardware names, where investors have been rotating in and out of the sector depending on macro signals, data-center sentiment, and expectations for wafer-fab equipment (WFE) spending. [2]
Below is a complete roundup of the stock-specific headlines, forecasts, and analyst views published or updated today (15.12.2025)—plus what matters next for investors watching Lam Research stock.
What’s driving Lam Research stock today
Jefferies boosts its Lam Research price target to $200
The most notable stock-specific headline on Dec. 15, 2025: Jefferies raised its price target on Lam Research to $200 from $175 and maintained a Buy rating. [3]
That new $200 target stands out because:
- It matches the highest target currently highlighted on Benzinga’s analyst summary for LRCX. [4]
- It implies about 21.6% upside from around $164.5 (based on today’s late-morning price region). [5]
LRCX shows up among Monday’s notable large-cap movers
In a broader market movers rundown posted this morning, Investing.com listed Lam Research (LRCX) among the day’s notable names, showing the stock up about 2.1% at the time of publication. [6]
That placement matters for Discover-style audiences because it signals the move is large enough to register beyond “company-only” news and into mainstream market tape coverage.
The bigger picture: why Lam Research matters in the AI chip-tool cycle
Lam Research is a major supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services used in semiconductor manufacturing—especially process steps like etch and deposition that become more demanding as chipmakers push into advanced nodes and advanced memory architectures. [7]
In practice, LRCX tends to trade on a few dominant narratives:
- AI infrastructure capex (driving advanced logic and advanced packaging demand indirectly through foundries and IDMs)
- Memory cycles (NAND and DRAM spending can swing sharply; Lam’s exposure to memory can be a tailwind in upcycles and a headwind in downcycles)
- China/export controls (policy shifts can change what tools can be shipped, to whom, and at what pace)
Reuters has previously tied Lam’s strength to elevated demand for chipmaking tools used in AI-related production and noted the stock’s significant 2025 run during that dynamic. [8]
Near-term forecast: what Lam has guided for the current quarter
A key “forecast anchor” for LRCX right now is still the company’s most recent official outlook.
In its latest quarterly release, Lam provided guidance for the quarter ending December 28, 2025, including:
- Revenue:$5.20 billion ± $300 million
- Non-GAAP EPS:$1.15 ± $0.10 [9]
Those figures are important for two reasons:
- They frame what the market will be grading Lam against when it reports results for the December quarter.
- They influence how analysts model calendar 2026 tool demand, margins, and free cash flow—often the variables that drive price targets like Jefferies’ $200 call today. [10]
For context, Lam’s last reported quarter (ended Sept. 28, 2025) included revenue of $5.32 billion and non‑GAAP diluted EPS of $1.26, according to the company. [11]
Earnings date watch: when is LRCX expected to report next?
Lam Research has not universally confirmed a single date across all financial calendars, and major platforms don’t fully agree—so investors should treat dates as estimates until the company posts an official announcement.
Here’s what prominent calendars show as of today:
- MarketScreener lists Q2 2026 earnings release (projected) on Jan. 27, 2026. [12]
- TipRanks shows the next earnings report on Jan. 27, 2026, while also displaying an earnings timing entry around Jan. 28, 2026 (TBA/confirmed) in its FAQ section. [13]
- Seeking Alpha shows an “announce date” of Jan. 26, 2026 (post‑market) with revenue and EPS estimates displayed on its earnings page. [14]
- MarketBeat estimates an earnings publication date of Feb. 4, 2026 (based on historical schedules) and notes the company hasn’t confirmed the date. [15]
Takeaway: The market is broadly bracing for a late‑January to early‑February earnings window, which means analyst target changes (like Jefferies today) can continue to hit the tape as firms refine models into the print. [16]
Analyst consensus: the targets are wide—and today’s $200 call sits at the top
One of the most striking things about Lam Research coverage right now is the spread between bullish and cautious targets.
What Benzinga shows today
Benzinga’s analyst snapshot lists:
- Consensus rating: Buy
- Consensus price target:$147.64
- High target:$200 (Jefferies, Dec. 15, 2025)
- Low target:$85 (Bernstein, Nov. 29, 2024) [17]
If LRCX is trading around $164.5 today, a $147.64 consensus implies roughly 10% downside—even as the top-end Jefferies view implies ~22% upside. [18]
That “two‑way” setup is exactly what typically produces choppy trading: it doesn’t take much incremental data (a WFE spending datapoint, a margin signal, a bookings comment) to pull price expectations toward one camp or the other.
What MarketBeat’s compilation shows today
MarketBeat, which aggregates ratings and institutional filing commentary in several stories published today, repeatedly references a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average target around the mid‑$150s (figures vary slightly by story). [19]
What MarketScreener shows today
MarketScreener’s analyst review page lists a mean price target of about $160.30 with an “overweight” style consensus framing. [20]
Why these consensus numbers differ: each platform uses a different universe of analysts, refresh cadence, and treatment of stale ratings—so it’s best to view them as a range of sentiment indicators, not a single point of truth.
Today’s ownership headlines: 13F filings show both trimming and fresh buying
A major slice of LRCX’s daily “news flow” on December 15 is driven by institutional ownership updates based on Form 13F filings and related summaries.
Neville Rodie & Shaw trims its stake
MarketBeat reported that Neville Rodie & Shaw Inc. reduced its Lam Research stake by 15.2%, selling 47,688 shares and ending the quarter with 266,754 shares valued at about $35.72 million. [21]
National Wealth Management Group adds a new position
In a separate MarketBeat filing story, National Wealth Management Group LLC disclosed a new position of 17,412 shares, valued at about $1.695 million (per the filing summary). [22]
Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings reduces stake; mega-holders remain huge
Another MarketBeat item noted Migdal Insurance & Financial Holdings Ltd. decreased its stake, while also highlighting the scale of ownership among the largest institutions (e.g., Vanguard, State Street, JPMorgan, Geode), consistent with Lam’s broadly high institutional ownership profile. [23]
Important nuance for readers: 13F data is backward-looking (it reflects positions at quarter-end), so these stories often influence sentiment more than they change the forward outlook. Still, they can matter when investors are watching whether large funds are “taking profits” after a powerful run.
A fresh “screen-based” outlook: dividend growth + earnings growth expectations
In a Zacks-originated screen published today via TradingView, Lam Research appears in a list of dividend-growth stocks positioned for long-term resilience, with several forward-looking metrics cited:
- A consensus estimate implying fiscal 2026 revenue growth of ~14.1% year over year
- A long-term (3–5 year) earnings growth rate cited at ~20.3%
- An annual dividend yield cited at ~0.65%
- Zacks Rank and Growth Score indicators (Rank #2; Growth Score A) [24]
For SEO readers searching “Lam Research stock forecast,” this kind of screen matters because it reflects what many retail and quant-adjacent investors actually do: they look for the intersection of (1) earnings revisions, (2) growth expectations, and (3) shareholder returns—then triangulate with analyst targets like Jefferies’ new $200 call. [25]
Risks and reality checks for LRCX investors
Even on a positive day, Lam Research stock carries a few structural risks that routinely show up in analyst notes and earnings calls:
- Semiconductor capex cyclicality: WFE demand can surge—then pause quickly if memory pricing softens or if foundries moderate utilization.
- Policy and export controls: Reuters has previously flagged export controls/tariff uncertainty as a near-term challenge even amid strong AI-driven demand. [26]
- Valuation sensitivity: With LRCX trading at a premium multiple versus its own downcycle troughs, disappointment risk rises if margins or revenue growth comes in “good but not great.” MarketBeat’s snapshot today cites a P/E in the mid‑30s range (platform-dependent), underscoring why guidance commentary can move the stock sharply. [27]
- Sector rotation: Friday’s pullback in the broader AI complex—and ongoing debate about whether AI/data-center spending is overheating—can spill over into “picks-and-shovels” names like Lam. [28]
Bottom line: Lam Research stock is rising today—on targets, not new corporate headlines
As of Dec. 15, 2025, the most actionable “new” developments around Lam Research (LRCX) stock are:
- Jefferies’ price target hike to $200 (Buy), putting a fresh bull-case marker at the top of the Street’s range. [29]
- Institutional positioning updates from multiple 13F-related reports showing both trimming and new buying. [30]
- Screen-based growth and dividend outlook commentary (Zacks via TradingView) reinforcing the narrative that Lam remains a “quality growth + shareholder return” semiconductor-equipment name—even after a strong 2025 run. [31]
What comes next is straightforward: investors will increasingly trade LRCX on expectations for the December quarter results and on whether management’s outlook supports (or challenges) the kind of multi-quarter demand strength implied by the most bullish targets. [32]
References
1. www.benzinga.com, 2. 247wallst.com, 3. www.marketbeat.com, 4. www.benzinga.com, 5. www.benzinga.com, 6. ca.investing.com, 7. www.tradingview.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. newsroom.lamresearch.com, 10. newsroom.lamresearch.com, 11. investor.lamresearch.com, 12. www.marketscreener.com, 13. www.tipranks.com, 14. seekingalpha.com, 15. www.marketbeat.com, 16. www.marketscreener.com, 17. www.benzinga.com, 18. www.benzinga.com, 19. www.marketbeat.com, 20. www.marketscreener.com, 21. www.marketbeat.com, 22. www.marketbeat.com, 23. www.marketbeat.com, 24. www.tradingview.com, 25. www.tradingview.com, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. www.marketbeat.com, 28. 247wallst.com, 29. www.marketbeat.com, 30. www.marketbeat.com, 31. www.tradingview.com, 32. newsroom.lamresearch.com
