Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) Given Consensus Rating of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Consensus "Buy": Six analysts rate Photronics as a consensus Buy (1 hold, 3 buy, 2 strong buy) with an average 1‑year price target of $49.33 and recent upgrades including a $55 target from Lake Street Capital.
• Significant insider selling: CEO George Macricostas sold 121,194 shares (~$5.2M) and director Kang Jyh Lee sold 20,000 shares (~$918K); insiders disposed of 346,144 shares worth $15.06M over the past three months, leaving insiders with 3.30% ownership.
• Quarterly beat and outlook: Photronics beat Q1 estimates with EPS $0.61 vs. $0.54 and revenue $225.07M vs. $220.09M, provided Q2 EPS guidance of $0.49–$0.55, and currently trades near $49.48 with 50‑day/200‑day MAs of $41.11/$33.80.

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Buy" from the six analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $49.3333.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on PLAB shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Photronics from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Lake Street Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday. Zacks Research raised Photronics from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Photronics from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Craig Hallum reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd.

Insider Activity at Photronics

In other Photronics news, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 20,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.92, for a total transaction of $918,400.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 355,850 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,340,632. This trade represents a 5.32% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO George Macricostas sold 121,194 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.94, for a total transaction of $5,204,070.36. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 334,068 shares in the company, valued at $14,344,879.92. The trade was a 26.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 346,144 shares of company stock worth $15,061,759 in the last three months. Company insiders own 3.30% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Photronics during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Photronics during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in Photronics during the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Photronics by 673.4% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,293 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP grew its position in Photronics by 569.8% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,151 shares during the last quarter. 88.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Photronics Price Performance

NASDAQ PLAB opened at $49.48 on Tuesday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $41.11 and its 200 day moving average price is $33.80. Photronics has a 12 month low of $16.59 and a 12 month high of $52.79. The company has a market capitalization of $2.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.06 and a beta of 1.51.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $225.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $220.09 million. Photronics had a net margin of 15.83% and a return on equity of 7.88%. Photronics's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Photronics will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Photronics Company Profile

Photronics, Inc is a leading global supplier of photomask products used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, flat panel displays, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and advanced packaging applications. Photomasks, also known as reticles, are critical templates that carry the precise circuit patterns required for semiconductor lithography processes. The company offers a comprehensive range of mask solutions, including binary masks, attenuated phase-shift masks, reticles for micro-optics, and specialized products for high‐resolution applications.

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Brookfield, Connecticut, Photronics has grown through organic expansion and strategic investments in high‐end lithography technology.

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