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

Key Points

• Photronics has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy”, with three buy ratings, one strong buy, and two holds among six covering firms. The average 12-month price target is about $49.33.
• The company’s latest quarterly results disappointed: Q2 earnings and revenue missed estimates, and Q3 guidance also came in below consensus, contributing to a sharp drop in the stock.
• Photronics shares were down 4.9% and traded at $32.35 in the article, while several law firms announced securities-law investigations that add another layer of risk for investors.

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $49.3333.

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on PLAB shares. Zacks Research cut Photronics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Craig Hallum reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday. Lake Street Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Photronics from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Photronics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday.

Photronics News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Photronics reported weaker-than-expected Q2 earnings and revenue, prompting a sharp selloff. Photronics Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 guidance also missed consensus, signaling near-term pressure on demand and margins. Why Is Photronics Stock Falling Friday?
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced investigations into possible securities-law violations, creating an additional headline risk for shareholders. Securities Fraud Investigation Into Photronics, Inc. (PLAB) Announced

Photronics Trading Down 4.9%

Shares of Photronics stock opened at $32.35 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.91 billion, a PE ratio of 11.81 and a beta of 1.51. Photronics has a 12 month low of $16.59 and a 12 month high of $56.00. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $46.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.16.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The semiconductor company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.11). Photronics had a net margin of 18.47% and a return on equity of 7.69%. The business had revenue of $209.94 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $216.47 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.40 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Photronics has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.390-0.450 EPS. Analysts predict that Photronics will post 2.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Photronics news, CFO Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total transaction of $1,826,748.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 136,173 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,991,612. This represents a 23.36% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Constantine S. Macricostas sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.35, for a total value of $2,267,500.00. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 346,144 shares of company stock worth $15,061,759. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Photronics by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 105,784 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $3,385,000 after buying an additional 306 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Photronics by 16.2% in the 4th quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,624 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Photronics by 29.1% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,917 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 432 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in Photronics by 21.9% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $83,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the period. Finally, Kendall Capital Management boosted its holdings in Photronics by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Kendall Capital Management now owns 46,385 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $1,484,000 after purchasing an additional 555 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.38% of the company's stock.

About Photronics

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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