We recently compiled a list of the Jim Cramer’s Top 10 Stock Picks You Can’t Ignore. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) stands against Jim Cramer’s top stock picks.

In a recent episode of Mad Money, Jim Cramer discussed the current divide between tech stocks and other sectors, highlighting their tendency to move in opposite directions. For example, on a day when the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 228 points and the S&P 500 went up by 0.13%, the NASDAQ, which is heavily influenced by tech stocks, dropped by 0.52%. Cramer thinks it’s because there isn’t enough new money flowing into the market.

“How did we get to this bizarre dichotomy between tech stocks and pretty much everything else, where the two groups now almost always seem to move in opposite directions? Take today: the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 228 points, the S&P advanced 0.13%, but the NASDAQ—with all that tech in it—dropped a bomb. Yes, it fell 0.52%. How could there be such a schism?”

As a result, large institutions need to move their investments between sectors since they can’t invest in both at once. This shift is due to market mechanics rather than fundamental news. When stocks are already doing well, it’s difficult to attract new investment, especially when safer options provide attractive returns. Therefore, either tech stocks or other sectors will perform well, but not both simultaneously.

“It’s because there’s not enough money coming in from the sidelines, so these big institutions have to swap out of one group if they want to buy stock in another. Yet this action has nothing to do with fundamentals; it’s not about the news, it’s about pure market mechanics. When stocks are already red hot, it’s hard to attract new capital from the sidelines, especially when you can get a cozy 4% return for doing nothing. So, either tech wins or everything else wins, but there’s not enough cash for both of them to win at the same time.”

Market Shake-Up: Clear Winners and Losers Amid Fed’s Critical Rate Decision

Cramer notes that this situation results in distinct winners and losers, rather than a range of performance on a positive day. This is occurring amid uncertainty about whether the Federal Reserve will reduce interest rates by 25 or 50 basis points in their upcoming meeting. Cramer also notes that, despite his usual reluctance to speculate on the Fed’s decisions, recent market movements have been swayed by expectations of rate cuts. For example, when The Wall Street Journal indicated the Fed might choose a 50 basis point reduction, there was a notable shift towards cyclical stocks, particularly those related to housing. This shift, along with other positive news, contributed to the market’s best week of the year.

“What happens? We get winners and losers—not big winners and smaller winners, as you would normally expect on an up day like today. This is all against the backdrop of the big question: will the Fed cut rates by 25 basis points or 50 when it meets on Wednesday?

Now, you know me, I try to refrain from this parlor game of guessing the Fed’s next move based on the strength of the economy. Last week, when *The Wall Street Journal* indicated the Fed may actually be leaning toward 50 basis points, we saw this great migration into cyclicals, especially anything related to housing. Of course, last week, there was just enough good news to propel the entire market, which is why it was the best week of the year.

This leads me to this newfound great divide between tech and non-tech, because that’s how this market seems to be trading. It’s a big reason why I’m out here in Silicon Valley this week. Today, we saw a market that doesn’t believe in AI, or tech in general for that matter. It’s a market that believes a 50-basis-point rate cut will shift money from semiconductors to housing and anything housing-related, and people want to get ahead of that.”

Jim Cramer’s Definition of ABT: “Anything But Tech”

Jim Cramer noted that Monday’s market saw a wide range of winners. Healthcare stocks, retailers, and consumer packaged goods companies all did well, and even oil stocks, which have been lagging, are rebounding. This is unusual because typically when cyclical stocks rise, sectors like healthcare and consumer products would drop. Cramer explains this trend as part of a broader market shift he calls “ABT,” or “anything but tech.” Essentially, today’s market is focusing on sectors outside of technology.

“Today, the winners broadened out. The healthcare stocks got jiggy, retailers worked, and consumer packaged goods companies outperformed. Even the much-maligned oils are rallying. It’s crazy—healthcare and consumer products should be selling off when cyclicals rally, but that’s not what’s happening because it’s *ABT*. No, I’m not talking about the symbol for Abbott Labs. ABT means “anything but tech,” and that’s what today’s market was about.

The implications are pretty stark, folks. Market commentators call this a rotation, but that understates what’s really happening here because the move is so vicious and devoid of realism. The market’s action is dictating what we do. For example, we know that the principal beneficiaries of rate cuts are the housing stocks, which rallied again today. This is the second day these stocks jumped as rates continue to plummet. But today, day two, was zero-sum.”

Tech stocks also experienced notable gains because of key events. For example, Larry Ellison from Oracle reported strong earnings and emphasized the need for many additional data centers.

Our Methodology

This article summarizes Jim Cramer’s latest Mad Money episode, where he discussed various stocks. We have selected the ten most notable companies he mentioned and ranked them based on their ownership levels by hedge funds, from the least owned to the most owned.

At Insider Monkey we are obsessed with the stocks that hedge funds pile into. The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)

Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 84

Jim Cramer believes that Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is significantly undervalued and could potentially rebound strongly, with the possibility of a 200-point increase despite a potential 50-point drop. He agreed with a viewer’s view on Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX), emphasizing his extensive experience with Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) compared to current traders. Cramer advised against trying to follow the recent tech sell-off, as it often leads to wasted effort and financial losses.

“I think Lam is dramatically oversold. I think it could be a coiled spring. Maybe it has 50 points down, but I think it could have 200 points up. I agree with you, and I’ve known the company for a very long time, certainly more than the traders who are dumping it right now. So anyway, don’t try to chase this move out of tech, please. I’ve seen this kind of thing before, it’s just not worth your effort. It will only result in you churning your dollars and losing money.”

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) presents a strong case for growth, thanks to its solid performance in the semiconductor sector and multiple growth opportunities. Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) has consistently exceeded market expectations, as shown by its Q4 fiscal 2024 earnings report, where it posted $3.87 billion in revenue and an EPS of $7.78, both higher than predicted.

Key factors driving this growth include the increasing demand for AI-powered chips, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), 3D DRAM, and advanced packaging technologies. Additionally, rising demand for NAND memory, driven by technological advancements, plays a significant role, with Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) leading in NAND etching technology.

Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)’s strategic focus on research and development (R&D) and expanded production capabilities position it well to take advantage of these industry trends. Further boosting confidence, hedge funds, institutional investors, and positive analyst ratings reflect a strong belief in Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX)’s long-term growth potential. With the AI and memory markets on the rise, Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) is well-positioned for continued earnings growth in the future.

Artisan Select Equity Fund stated the following regarding Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“The top contributors to performance for the quarter were Alphabet, Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX) and Elevance. Lam Research shares rose 10% during the quarter and are up 67% over the past year, primarily due to optimism around the pending investment cycle in semiconductor capital expenditures. Lam is one of the largest equipment manufacturers used to make semiconductor chips.

This equipment, commonly referred to as WFE (wafer fabrication equipment), is expected to experience significant growth due to a combination of a cyclical rebound in memory chips and growing demand for new AI-related chips. Lam’s product portfolio is particularly well positioned to benefit from both trends and should grow even faster than the overall market. Its shares now trade at ~30X prior peak earnings, which suggests this dynamic is well understood by the market and is mostly priced in.”

Overall LRCX ranks 5th on our list of Jim Cramer’s top stock picks. While we acknowledge the potential of LRCX as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that under the radar AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LRCX but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.