Insider Trading March 5, 2026

Lam Research CFO Disposes $11.2M in Shares After Exercising Options

Douglas Bettinger sold 50,057 LRCX shares and exercised 77,750 options; company posts strong Q2 results and announces leadership changes

By Priya Menon LRCX
Lam Research CFO Disposes $11.2M in Shares After Exercising Options
LRCX

Lam Research Chief Financial Officer Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 shares of common stock on March 4, 2026, generating $11.214 million, and on the same day exercised options for 77,750 shares valued at $5.116 million. After the transactions he directly owns 1,081,705 shares. The activity coincides with a 184% one-year return for the stock, a current share price below recent highs, a valuation assessment listing the company as overvalued, and recent company developments including an earnings beat, analyst target increases, executive promotions and a strategic research partnership.

Key Points

  • CFO Douglas R. Bettinger sold 50,057 Lam Research shares on March 4, 2026, for $11,214,269 at a weighted average price of $224.03 (range $223.90 to $224.39).
  • On the same day Bettinger exercised options totaling 77,750 shares in two transactions (51,270 shares at $49.092 and 26,480 shares at $98.153) with an aggregate value of $5,116,038; he now directly owns 1,081,705 shares, including unvested restricted stock units.
  • Lam Research reported fiscal Q2 2026 results that exceeded consensus, spurring Argus and Stifel to raise price targets to $280 while maintaining Buy ratings; the company also announced leadership promotions and a multi-year R&D partnership with CEA-Leti focused on energy-efficient semiconductor solutions.

Lam Research's Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, Douglas R. Bettinger, completed a sizable block trade on March 4, 2026, selling 50,057 shares of the company's common stock for a combined $11,214,269.

The disposition was executed at a weighted average price of $224.03 per share, with traded prices ranging narrowly between $223.90 and $224.39. The sale was recorded on March 4, 2026.

Also on March 4, Bettinger exercised options in two separate transactions to acquire a total of 77,750 shares of Lam Research common stock. The option exercises involved 51,270 shares at an exercise price of $49.092 and 26,480 shares at an exercise price of $98.153, producing a combined value of $5,116,038 for the acquired shares.

Following these transactions, Bettinger holds 1,081,705 shares of Lam Research directly. That total includes shares that remain subject to unvested restricted stock units.


These insider moves come as Lam Research shares have experienced a strong run over the past year, delivering a cumulative return of 184% over the 12-month period referenced. Despite that performance, shares are currently quoted at $209.69, a level below the recent peaks the stock reached during its rally.

On valuation, InvestingPro analysis places Lam Research on its Most Overvalued list, indicating the stock appears to exceed its Fair Value estimate according to that assessment.


Separately, the company has reported several corporate developments. Lam Research posted fiscal second-quarter 2026 results that topped consensus expectations, prompting analysts at Argus and Stifel to raise their price targets to $280 while keeping Buy ratings intact.

Lam Research also announced executive changes. Sesha Varadarajan will assume the role of Chief Operating Officer effective March 6, 2026. In addition, Karthik Rammohan’s responsibilities will expand as he becomes Senior Vice President of Global Operations and Enterprise Solutions. The company added Dr. Anirudh Devgan, the CEO of Cadence Design Systems, to its board of directors.

On the technology front, Lam Research entered a multi-year collaboration with CEA-Leti aimed at developing next-generation specialty technology devices. The partnership will focus on energy-efficient semiconductor solutions and will explore new materials and fabrication processes for applications that include MEMS, 3D imaging and photonics.


The combination of a senior executive exercising options, a large concurrent share sale, a stretched valuation metric from InvestingPro, and recent operational and governance changes presents a multifaceted snapshot of activity at Lam Research. Investors and market participants will likely weigh these items against the company’s recent earnings outperformance and analyst target revisions as they assess the firm’s near-term prospects.

Risks

  • Valuation risk: InvestingPro analysis lists Lam Research as overvalued relative to its Fair Value estimate, which may affect future returns for investors in the semiconductor equipment sector.
  • Market volatility: Although the stock returned 184% over the past year, the current share price of $209.69 is below its recent highs, reflecting potential price fluctuations in capital markets.
  • Execution and leadership transition uncertainty: Recent leadership changes, including the promotion of a new Chief Operating Officer effective March 6, 2026, mean the operational impact of those shifts remains to be observed by shareholders and stakeholders.

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