Lam Research Shares Rise as Citi Raises Price Target to $265
Lam Research Corp (LRCX) shares increased by 5.95% during regular trading, reaching a 52-week high.
Citi analyst Atif Malik raised the price target for Lam Research to $265, reflecting optimism about wafer fabrication equipment spending, which is projected to reach $126 billion by 2026. Additionally, Citi upgraded Lam Research's EPS estimates for 2026 and 2027 by 4% and 7%, respectively, enhancing investor confidence ahead of the upcoming earnings report on January 28, where analysts expect earnings of $1.17 per share and revenue of $5.24 billion.
This positive outlook from analysts, combined with the anticipated growth in the semiconductor equipment sector, is likely to bolster investor interest in Lam Research, further supporting its stock performance.
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- Shift in Market Sentiment: Since 2022, investor fears of a bear market have intensified, with value, dividend, and international stocks emerging as leaders despite the S&P 500 being virtually flat in 2026, indicating a structural shift in market dynamics.
- Economic Growth Expectations: Concerns about the job market, affordability, and tariff impacts exist, yet expectations for GDP and earnings growth, along with stable inflation, have not raised urgent red flags for the markets, suggesting a wait-and-see approach.
- Investment Strategy Adjustments: Vanguard ETFs offer three strategies to mitigate potential bear market risks, including the Short-Term Treasury ETF (VGSH), which provides a 3.6% yield, ensuring a safe income stream while minimizing volatility.
- Defensive Equity Allocation: The Vanguard U.S. Minimum Volatility ETF (VFMV) helps investors reduce downside risk by investing in stocks expected to exhibit lower volatility, maintaining equity exposure while currently holding significant allocations in technology, industrials, consumer discretionary, and financials.
- Market Turmoil: On January 27, 2025, Chinese startup DeepSeek's AI model caused a market shock, leading Nvidia's stock to lose nearly $600 billion in market cap in a single day, plummeting from $143 to below $90, highlighting the market's sensitivity to AI technology.
- Stock Decline: Following the DeepSeek incident, Nvidia's stock continued to decline until April 2025, reflecting investor concerns over U.S.-China trade tensions and revealing the intense competition in the AI technology sector.
- Industry Impact: Dassault's stock fell 10% due to uncertainty over its partnership with Schindler, while Siemens dropped 6.4%, indicating the potential risks associated with reliance on digital twin technology for infrastructure companies.
- Supply-Demand Imbalance: Memory prices surged by 600% over the year, and Cisco's warning about DRAM shortages impacting earnings further exacerbated concerns for Nvidia and similar companies, potentially leading to demand destruction and suppressed sales.
- Strong Performance: Bridgewater Associates achieved a 12.41% gain over the past year, slightly outperforming the S&P 500's 12%, indicating the effectiveness of its investment strategy in the technology sector and boosting investor confidence.
- Significant Holding Changes: The latest 13F filing reveals that Bridgewater increased its stake in NVIDIA from 3.50 million shares to 3.87 million, an 11% rise, while Salesforce saw a dramatic 285% increase from 502,400 shares to 1.93 million, reflecting a strong bullish outlook on tech stocks.
- Strategic Reductions: In contrast, Alphabet's holdings were significantly reduced by 56%, dropping from 3.62 million shares to 1.59 million, indicating a selective investment strategy in tech stocks that may reflect a reassessment of market prospects.
- Diversified Portfolio: Bridgewater's top five holdings include the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust at 11.08% and NVIDIA at 2.63%, with their quantitative ratings demonstrating robust performance in the market, further solidifying their position in the investment community.
- AI Disrupts Traditional Software: The rise of Anthropic poses significant challenges to traditional software companies like Workday and Salesforce, particularly in the application of AI technology, threatening their market share and customer loyalty.
- Surge in Capital Expenditures: Tech giants like Amazon and Google have significantly raised their capital expenditure outlooks, with Amazon projecting spending to reach $200 billion, far exceeding the $147 billion consensus, which could impact stock performance and investor confidence.
- Intensified Market Competition: The rapid advancement of AI technology raises questions about the value of enterprise software, leading investors to adopt a pessimistic view on the future of traditional software companies, especially in labor-intensive areas that may face workforce reductions due to AI adoption.
- Investor Confidence Shaken: Despite significant advancements by companies like Anthropic and OpenAI in the AI space, market confidence in traditional software companies is waning, resulting in poor stock performance over the past six months and raising concerns about future profitability.
- Chipmaker Rebound: Applied Materials (AMAT) reported Q1 adjusted EPS of $2.38, surpassing the consensus of $2.21, leading to a 10% stock price increase that helped lift the broader market, indicating strong recovery potential in tech stocks.
- Inflation Data Impact: The US January CPI rose 2.4% year-over-year, below the expected 2.5%, which may prompt the Fed to continue cutting rates, with the 10-year T-note yield falling to 4.05%, providing support for the market.
- Earnings Performance: Over two-thirds of S&P 500 companies have reported earnings, with 76% exceeding expectations, and Q4 earnings growth is projected at 8.4%, demonstrating corporate resilience and restoring market confidence.
- Market Sentiment Fluctuations: Despite the overall market rise, concerns over AI persist, putting pressure on certain stocks, particularly in tech and logistics, reflecting investor caution regarding future economic prospects.
- Earnings Report Impact: Applied Materials experienced a significant rise in stock price following its latest earnings report.
- AI Boom Beneficiaries: The company's success highlights the growing benefits for chipmaking equipment firms due to the surge in artificial intelligence demand.










