New York, Jan 18, 2026, 14:41 (ET) — Market closed
- Shares of Lam Research rose 2.5% on Friday, finishing at $222.96
- U.S. markets are closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day; trading picks up again Tuesday
- Lam will unveil its latest earnings report and outlook on Jan. 28
Lam Research shares rose 2.5% on Friday, closing at $222.96. About 12.7 million shares traded, as chip stocks held steady ahead of the long weekend.
The rise came amid a broader semiconductor rally, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index up 1.2% for the day. Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, pointed out, “we’re at the start of the earnings season,” a phase that can quickly change sentiment in sectors loaded with high expectations, such as chip equipment. Reuters
This matters because U.S. markets remain closed Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, reopening only on Tuesday. The week ahead is packed with earnings reports, featuring heavyweights like Intel—whose numbers tend to sway the entire semiconductor space.
Lam has announced its next key date: the quarterly financial conference call and webcast will take place Wednesday, Jan. 28.
On Friday, the equipment sector showed a rare unity. Applied Materials rose 2.49%, with Lam gaining 2.52%, both outpacing a market that mostly stayed flat.
Lam is a key player in wafer fabrication equipment, supplying the large, specialized machines crucial for making chips on silicon wafers. Sitting squarely in the middle of the supply chain, its stock frequently acts as a gauge for chipmakers’ investment plans.
On Jan. 28, traders will look beyond the raw numbers, seeking clear direction. Watch for clues in customer capital spending, demand for deposition and etch tools, and whether the momentum holds across both memory and logic chip production.
Margins and supply bottlenecks are set to grab focus, especially if Lam anticipates these issues easing or just shifting to different parts of its product range. Changes in orders from key chipmakers typically show up well ahead of revenue figures.
The setup cuts both ways. Semiconductor stocks have rallied hard, raising expectations to a fever pitch. Any cautious forecast or softer remarks on tool demand might trigger a sharp sell-off, even if earnings look strong on the surface.
Markets reopen Tuesday, and chip stocks remain in the spotlight as earnings season nears. Lam’s Jan. 28 earnings report and outlook will be a key moment, shaping how investors value the sector heading into February.
