NWPX vs. LRCX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

NWPX (Northwest Pipe Company) and LRCX (Lam Research Corporation) are both stocks. NWPX operates in Metal Fabrication (Industrials), while LRCX operates in Semiconductor Equipment & Materials (Technology). Over the past 10 years, NWPX returned 28.73%/yr vs 47.12%/yr for LRCX. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

NWPX vs. LRCX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Northwest Pipe Company (NWPX) and Lam Research Corporation (LRCX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NWPX achieves a 91.55% return, which is significantly lower than LRCX's 101.03% return. Over the past 10 years, NWPX has underperformed LRCX with an annualized return of 28.73%, while LRCX has yielded a comparatively higher 47.12% annualized return.

NWPX

• 1D: -0.02%
• 1M: 12.25%
• YTD: 91.55%
• 6M: 101.41%
• 1Y: 200.38%
• 3Y*: 61.93%
• 5Y*: 30.35%
• 10Y*: 28.73%

LRCX

• 1D: 2.78%
• 1M: 32.93%
• YTD: 101.03%
• 6M: 115.41%
• 1Y: 313.85%
• 3Y*: 79.31%
• 5Y*: 40.79%
• 10Y*: 47.12%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

NWPX vs. LRCX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NWPX Northwest Pipe Company	91.55%	29.49%	59.48%	-10.21%	5.97%	12.37%	-15.04%	43.02%	21.68%	11.15%
LRCX Lam Research Corporation	101.03%	139.16%	-6.84%	88.63%	-40.72%	53.66%	64.18%	119.33%	-24.40%	76.21%

Correlation

The correlation between NWPX and LRCX is 0.42, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.42
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.36
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.28
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 1, 1995	0.21

Over the past year, NWPX and LRCX have become more correlated (0.42) than their long-term average of 0.21, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap NWPX : $1.17B LRCX : $434.03B
EPS NWPX : $4.25 LRCX : $5.29
PE Ratio NWPX : 28.17 LRCX : 65.00
PEG Ratio NWPX : 0.55 LRCX : 4.92
PS Ratio NWPX : 2.16 LRCX : 20.11
PB Ratio NWPX : 2.90 LRCX : 41.01
Total Revenue (TTM) NWPX : $548.14M LRCX : $21.68B
Gross Profit (TTM) NWPX : $110.94M LRCX : $10.84B
EBITDA (TTM) NWPX : $75.93M LRCX : $6.10B

Return for Risk

NWPX vs. LRCX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

NWPX

NWPX Risk / Return Rank: 98
NWPX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
NWPX Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
NWPX Omega Ratio Rank: 98
NWPX Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
NWPX Martin Ratio Rank: 99

LRCX

LRCX Risk / Return Rank: 98
LRCX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
LRCX Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
LRCX Omega Ratio Rank: 97
LRCX Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
LRCX Martin Ratio Rank: 99

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

NWPX vs. LRCX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Northwest Pipe Company (NWPX) and Lam Research Corporation (LRCX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	NWPX	LRCX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	5.08	6.34	-1.26
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	6.10	5.04	+1.06
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.75	1.67	+0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	12.85	15.81	-2.96
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	42.75	53.72	-10.97
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NWPX vs. LRCX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NWPX Sharpe Ratio is 5.08, which is comparable to the LRCX Sharpe Ratio of 6.34. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NWPX and LRCX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NWPX	LRCX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.08	6.34	-1.26
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.84	0.89	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.70	1.06	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.19	0.44	-0.25

Drawdowns

NWPX vs. LRCX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NWPX drawdown since its inception was -87.71%, roughly equal to the maximum LRCX drawdown of -87.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NWPX and LRCX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NWPX	LRCX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-87.71%	-87.90%	+0.19%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.70%	-20.01%	+4.31%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-35.36%	-47.10%	+11.74%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.71%	-56.39%	+20.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-46.50%	-56.39%	+9.89%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.71%	0.00%	-1.71%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-43.40%	-28.19%	-15.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.71%	5.87%	-1.16%

Volatility

NWPX vs. LRCX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Northwest Pipe Company (NWPX) is 10.42%, while Lam Research Corporation (LRCX) has a volatility of 16.14%. This indicates that NWPX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than LRCX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NWPX	LRCX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.42%	16.14%	-5.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	30.22%	40.20%	-9.98%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	39.79%	49.88%	-10.09%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	36.47%	45.94%	-9.47%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	41.05%	44.58%	-3.53%

Dividends

NWPX vs. LRCX - Dividend Comparison

NWPX has not paid dividends to shareholders, while LRCX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.29%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
LRCX Lam Research Corporation	0.29%	0.57%	1.19%	0.95%	1.53%	0.78%	1.04%	1.54%	2.79%	1.01%	1.28%	1.36%
NWPX Northwest Pipe Company	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

NWPX vs. LRCX - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Northwest Pipe Company and Lam Research Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

NWPX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Northwest Pipe Company reported a gross profit of 26.67M and revenue of 138.25M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 19.3%.

LRCX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lam Research Corporation reported a gross profit of 2.91B and revenue of 5.84B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 49.8%.

NWPX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Northwest Pipe Company reported an operating income of 12.66M and revenue of 138.25M, resulting in an operating margin of 9.2%.

LRCX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lam Research Corporation reported an operating income of 2.05B and revenue of 5.84B, resulting in an operating margin of 35.0%.

NWPX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Northwest Pipe Company reported a net income of 10.53M and revenue of 138.25M, resulting in a net margin of 7.6%.

LRCX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Lam Research Corporation reported a net income of 1.83B and revenue of 5.84B, resulting in a net margin of 31.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NWPX and LRCX in my portfolio?

NWPX and LRCX have a correlation of 0.42, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NWPX or LRCX?

LRCX has higher volatility (16.14%) compared to NWPX (10.42%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NWPX dropped -87.71% vs LRCX's -87.90%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

LRCX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.34 vs 5.08), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.