Lam Research Surged 138% in the Last 6 Months. Here’s How Much the Stock Could Rise in 2026

Nikko Henson4 minute read
Reviewed by: Thomas Richmond
Last updated Mar 3, 2026

Key Stats for LRCX Stock

  • Past-6-Month Performance: 138%
  • 52-Week Range: $56 to $257
  • Valuation Model Target Price: $266
  • Implied Upside: 15%

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What Happened?

Lam Research stock is up about 138% over the past six months, climbing to around $231 per share as accelerating AI driven semiconductor demand and a sharp rebound in memory capital spending fueled a major rerating across wafer fab equipment stocks.

The move reflects renewed confidence that the AI infrastructure buildout is still in its early stages, with Lam positioned at the center of deposition and etch intensity growth tied to advanced DRAM, leading edge foundry, and high bandwidth memory.

This week’s earnings reinforced that momentum. Lam reported record December quarter revenue of $5.34 billion, marking its 10th consecutive quarter of growth, with gross margin of 49.7%, operating margin of 34.3%, and EPS of $1.27, all above the high end of guidance.

Full year 2025 revenue rose 27% to $20.6 billion, while EPS jumped 49% to $4.89. Management guided March quarter revenue to $5.7 billion plus or minus $300 million and signaled 2026 wafer fab equipment spending around $135 billion, with CEO Tim Archer stating the company is seeing “continued strong execution in an accelerating semiconductor demand environment.”

Institutional positioning showed broad accumulation alongside selective trimming. Allianz SE increased its stake by 269.1% to 12,772 shares worth about $1.71 million, Quantbot Technologies boosted its position by 235.1% to 207,778 shares valued at roughly $27.82 million, and American Century Companies raised its stake 20.4% to 2,654,347 shares worth about $355.4 million.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB added 15.2% to reach 610,794 shares valued at approximately $81.79 million, while Generali Investments initiated a new 22,396 share position worth about $2.999 million.

Some firms reduced exposure, including Rafferty Asset Management, which cut its stake by 25.2% to 3,555,418 shares, Erste Asset Management, which trimmed 35.4% to 932,922 shares worth about $122.2 million, and DNB Asset Management, which reduced its stake by 17.2% to 2,600,095 shares valued at about $348.15 million.

Despite the reshuffling, institutional ownership remains high at roughly 84.61%, reinforcing strong long term conviction as Lam enters a second half weighted 2026 growth cycle driven by AI related DRAM, foundry, and advanced packaging investment.

Lam Research stock
LRCX Guided Valuation Model

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Is LRCX Undervalued?

Under valuation assumptions, the stock is modeled using:

  • Revenue Growth (CAGR): 19%
  • Operating Margins: 35.5%
  • Exit P/E Multiple: 27x

Revenue is projected to accelerate meaningfully through 2028, supported by sustained AI driven demand and expanding wafer fab equipment intensity across DRAM, NAND, and leading edge foundry.

Management expects 2026 WFE around $135 billion, up from roughly $110 billion in 2025, with spending weighted to the second half as clean room capacity constraints ease.

Advanced packaging alone is expected to grow more than 40% in 2026, reflecting strong high bandwidth memory and 3D integration demand.

Lam Research stock
LRCX Revenue & Analyst Growth Estimates Over Five Years

Operating margins expanding toward 35.5% assume continued mix shift toward advanced etch and deposition tools such as Akara, stronger services revenue from an installed base now exceeding 100,000 chambers, and operating leverage as manufacturing capacity has nearly doubled over the past four years.

Lam also expects to expand its share of WFE as customers migrate to gate all around nodes, 1C and 1D DRAM transitions, and next generation HBM4 architectures.

Based on these inputs, the valuation framework estimates a target price of $266, implying about 15% upside from current levels near $231.

While the stock has already surged over the past six months, earnings power is still scaling alongside AI infrastructure investment.

At current levels, Lam Research appears modestly undervalued relative to its forward earnings trajectory, with 2026 performance likely driven by DRAM capital intensity, advanced packaging growth above 40%, and continued share gains in leading edge logic and memory rather than simple multiple expansion.

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How Much Upside Does LRCX Stock Have From Here?

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All it takes is three simple inputs:

  1. Revenue Growth
  2. Operating Margins
  3. Exit P/E Multiple

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