Lam Research CorpLRCXCOMMENTApr 18, 2018Stock price when the opinion was issued
As of Jul 02, 2026. Market Open.
Will benefit from memory and logic buildouts, two areas she expects to see near-term upside. ASML reported very strong results, which bodes well for LRCX. Headwinds over past 2 years, now at inflection point. Pricing power. Revenue really starting to inflect upward. Sees significant earnings upside. Yield is 0.43%.
(Analysts’ price target is $225.68)Just bought it. Semis were the most punished class when tariffs hit earlier this year. The impact hit semis equipment companies like this, but it hit its 52-week high in July. He prefers buying names that have recently made highs, not months ago (like Applied Materials). Momentum has returned to the semis.
In the semi space, his firm tends to stay with a select few names that are best exposed to AI. That doesn't include the equipment makers, who are in a tricky situation. So many headlines involve the US trying to clamp down on China's access to everything related to semiconductors. Part of China's response to that was to buy up as much non-advanced-edge chip equipment as it could. An overhang going forward.
See his Past Top Picks for a name he likes a lot more.
(Note 10 for 1 stock split October 3, 2024)
Got caught in the backwash of ASML. Reports tonight. He's on board with the analysts' average price target, getting close to being fully priced. Watch tonight when earnings come out, and listen for comparisons with ASML. Good support on the chart around $71. Next support after that is around $57. A great place to buy would be in low-mid $60s.
Great opportunity to pick up 4 pillars. MU on the manufacturing, TSM for the foundry, LRCX or KLAC or ASML as the equipment suppliers, NVDA is a gift down here as a designer. And (he can't believe he's going to say this) even INTC; come 2025, it will be competitive with NVDA.
Lam or Micron? Semi-conductors have been a good neighbourhood to be in. LAM is much more focused on equipment that makes semis while Micron is focussed on memory chips. With the proliferation of handsets, the demand for memory has been shooting through the roof, so Micron is benefitting big. He prefers Micron, though it's more cyclical than other stocks. Given consolidation in this space, the pricing power has gotten better. It trades at 6x PE like a cyclical. Great job of growing its business.