New York, Feb 18, 2026, 18:55 (ET) — After-hours
- Lam Research ended the session up 1.9% at $240.09, with shares holding steady following the close.
- The company sketched out plans for a new Boise office, aiming to bolster collaboration with Micron on advanced memory projects.
- Eyes now turn to Lam’s conference spots on March 3 and March 11, as investors scan for any signals on demand and outlook.
Lam Research Corporation finished Wednesday up 1.9% at $240.09. Shares drifted in a range from $234.10 to $245.19 over the day, and after hours, the stock barely moved.
The stock’s moving again, with investors weighing just how aggressively chipmakers might ramp up spending on new factory equipment for AI servers and a tighter memory supply. Lam supplies the etch and deposition tools—those are the machines used to carve and coat silicon wafers—right up front in that capex cycle.
Just a day ago, Lam announced it’s launched a new Boise, Idaho office designed to support roughly 150 local staff. The 9,200-square-foot facility, Lam said, is geared toward collaborative work in research, development, and large-scale manufacturing tied to Micron Technology’s advanced memory.
Neil Fernandes, Lam’s senior vice president of Global Customer Operations, called the Idaho expansion “critical infrastructure near one of our largest customers” and said it lets Lam “accelerate our operations,” according to the announcement. John Whitman of Micron added that Lam’s tools in Micron fabs are key for making advanced, high-capacity memory chips—down to “extraordinary precision at the atomic scale.” PR Newswire
U.S. Senator Jim Risch, present at the Boise gathering, described a robust supply of domestically produced semiconductors as “critical” to both economic stability and national security. He added that the new office is expected to bolster jobs and attract investment locally. Lam Research Newsroom
Lam’s shares advanced on a day when U.S. equities mostly pushed higher. The S&P 500 picked up 0.56%, the Dow added 0.26%. Applied Materials didn’t lag, jumping 2.83%, MarketWatch data showed.
Lam said CFO Doug Bettinger is set to speak March 3 at the Morgan Stanley TMT Conference, then again March 11 at Cantor’s Global Technology & Industrial Growth Conference. Both events will be webcast for public access.
Next up for investors watching 2026 demand: those conference slots. A close look for any new signals on customer ramp speed, with high-bandwidth memory—a key component in AI accelerators—still dominating the conversation.
Still, it’s a double-edged sword. If memory investments stall, or major customers push back expansion plans, or if trade restrictions tighten, tool orders could drop in a hurry. Competitors—Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron—aren’t letting up on the pressure for market share, either.
Next on the calendar: Bettinger heads to Morgan Stanley’s conference March 3, then Cantor on March 11. Those are the two dates traders are watching for shifts in commentary around demand, margins, or customer budgets.
