Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Lam Research ( LRCX ) .

And retail traders should know.

We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.

Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with LRCX, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.

So how do we know what these investors just did?

Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 21 uncommon options trades for Lam Research ( LRCX ).

This isn't normal.

The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 23% bullish and 61%, bearish.

Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 7 are puts, for a total amount of $328,935, and 14 are calls, for a total amount of $958,206.

What's The Price Target?

Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $40.0 to $105.0 for Lam Research ( LRCX ) during the past quarter.

Volume & Open Interest Development

Examining the volume and open interest provides crucial insights into stock research. This information is key in gauging liquidity and interest levels for Lam Research's ( LRCX ) options at certain strike prices. Below, we present a snapshot of the trends in volume and open interest for calls and puts across Lam Research's ( LRCX ) significant trades, within a strike price range of $40.0 to $105.0, over the past month.

Lam Research Option Activity Analysis: Last 30 Days

Noteworthy Options Activity:

About Lam Research

Lam Research ( LRCX ) is one of the largest semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment manufacturers in the world. It specializes in deposition and etch, which entail the buildup of layers on a semiconductor and the subsequent selective removal of patterns from each layer. Lam holds the top market share in etch and holds the clear second share in deposition. It is more exposed to memory chipmakers for DRAM and NAND chips. It counts as top customers the largest chipmakers in the world, including TSMC, Samsung, Intel, and Micron.

In light of the recent options history for Lam Research ( LRCX ), it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.

Where Is Lam Research Standing Right Now?

With a trading volume of 3,986,268, the price of LRCX is up by 2.97%, reaching $105.03.

Current RSI values indicate that the stock is may be approaching overbought.

Next earnings report is scheduled for 71 days from now.

What Analysts Are Saying About Lam Research

5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $104.8.

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* An analyst from Mizuho has decided to maintain their Outperform rating on Lam Research ( LRCX ), which currently sits at a price target of $120.

* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Citigroup continues to hold a Buy rating for Lam Research ( LRCX ), targeting a price of $113.

* An analyst from Barclays has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on Lam Research ( LRCX ), which currently sits at a price target of $83.

* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Stifel continues to hold a Buy rating for Lam Research ( LRCX ), targeting a price of $110.

* Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Wells Fargo continues to hold a Equal-Weight rating for Lam Research ( LRCX ), targeting a price of $98.

Trading options involves greater risks but also offers the potential for higher profits. Savvy traders mitigate these risks through ongoing education, strategic trade adjustments, utilizing various indicators, and staying attuned to market dynamics. Keep up with the latest options trades for Lam Research ( LRCX ) with Benzinga Pro for real-time alerts.