IBM vs LRCX: how the two businesses compare

  • Bigger business: IBM, with $67.5B of yearly revenue, about 2.9× LRCX's $23.2B.
  • More profitable: LRCX keeps 31 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 16 cents at IBM.
  • More cash from each sale: LRCX turns 25 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 20 cents at IBM.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

International Business Machines (IBM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.5B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 2.9× LRCX's $23.2B (fiscal year ended Jun 2026). IBM's net margin was 15.7% and LRCX's 31.3%. The SEC places them in related industries (Computer & office Equipment; Special Industry Machinery, NEC), and both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme.

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Information Technology
SEC industry
Different
Separate classifications
Fiscal year ends
Different
IBM December 31 · LRCX June 28
Reviewed
Aug 7, 2026

IBM vs LRCX: quick comparison

Company factIBMLRCX
CompanyInternational Business Machines CorporationLam Research Corporation
ExchangeNYSENASDAQ
HeadquartersArmonk, New York—
Founded1911—
SEC industryComputer & office EquipmentSpecial Industry Machinery, NEC
Fiscal year-endDecember 31June 28
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-02-2410-K · 2026-08-07

IBM vs LRCX: audited financials

  • Scale: IBM's $67.5B of revenue is about 2.9× LRCX's $23.2B.
  • Net margin: LRCX kept 31.3% of revenue as net income versus 15.7% at IBM.
  • Cash conversion: operating cash flow equalled IBM 19.5% of revenue, or 1.25× net income; LRCX 25.2% of revenue, or 0.81× net income. A ratio well above 1× usually reflects non-cash charges or working-capital release; well below 1× can reflect working-capital build or non-cash gains.
  • Periods: the fiscal years end about 6 months apart (2025-12-31 for IBM, 2026-06-28 for LRCX), so each figure reflects somewhat different demand and cost conditions.

IBM: FY ending 2025-12-31 · LRCX: FY ending 2026-06-28. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where IBM and LRCX overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Related SEC industries: both sit in SIC major group 35.
  • Shared research theme: Artificial intelligence.

Differences

  • Different four-digit SIC codes: IBM is 3570 (Computer & office Equipment); LRCX is 3559 (Special Industry Machinery, NEC).
  • Offset fiscal calendars: IBM's year ends December 31 and LRCX's June 28, about 6 months apart.
  • Only LRCX maps to Tariffs & trade.
  • Scale: IBM reported about 2.9× the annual revenue of LRCX.
  • Profitability: net margin of 15.7% for IBM versus 31.3% for LRCX.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)

IBM provides hybrid-cloud software, consulting, and mainframe systems to large enterprises and governments. Its Red Hat and watsonx platforms anchor a strategy built around open hybrid cloud and enterprise AI.

Lam Research Corporation (LRCX)

Lam Research supplies wafer-fabrication equipment specializing in etch and deposition steps for advanced memory and logic chips.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves IBM

  • Software growth across Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat), Automation, Data, and Transaction Processing
  • Consulting signings, backlog, and book-to-bill
  • The IBM z17 mainframe cycle within Infrastructure
  • Acquisition integration, including HashiCorp and the pending Confluent deal

What moves LRCX

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for LRCX. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-08-07.

The investment question

You now know IBM reports about 2.9× LRCX's revenue, and LRCX keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to artificial intelligence, including “Software growth across Hybrid Cloud (Red Hat), Automation, Data, and Transaction Processing” at IBM, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

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Members-only research on IBM and LRCX

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SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. IBM's fiscal year ends December 31, while LRCX's ends June 28. Normalize the reporting periods before comparing growth, margins, capital intensity, or guidance.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 51 matched transaction rows for IBM and 38 matched transaction rows for LRCX. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

IBM vs LRCX FAQs

Are IBM and LRCX direct competitors?

Not necessarily. International Business Machines files as Computer & office Equipment and Lam Research as Special Industry Machinery, NEC. The pair is compared because both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme, not because the filings show head-to-head competition.

Is IBM or LRCX the bigger company by revenue?

International Business Machines (IBM) is the larger business by reported revenue: $67.5B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 2.9× LRCX's $23.2B (fiscal year ended Jun 2026). IBM's net margin was 15.7% and LRCX's 31.3%. The SEC places them in related industries (Computer & office Equipment; Special Industry Machinery, NEC), and both map to the Artificial intelligence research theme. Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, IBM or LRCX?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this IBM vs LRCX comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers International Business Machines Corporation and Lam Research Corporation tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-10-13. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-10-13. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

IBM vs LRCX compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

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