Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) Receives Consensus Rating of "Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Photronics has a consensus “Buy” rating from seven analysts, with three buys, two strong buys and two holds; the average 12-month price target is $49.33.
• The company’s latest quarterly results missed expectations, with EPS of $0.42 versus $0.53 estimated and revenue of $209.9 million versus $216.5 million; fiscal Q3 2026 guidance is $0.39–$0.45 per share.
• Institutional investors own 88.38% of Photronics, while the company also faces a securities class-action lawsuit alleging it misled investors about demand and its high-end photomask outlook.

Shares of Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Buy" by the seven research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, three have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $49.3333.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on PLAB. Craig Hallum restated a "buy" rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Photronics from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Freedom Capital upgraded Photronics to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered Photronics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th.

Institutional Trading of Photronics

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. K.J. Harrison & Partners Inc acquired a new position in Photronics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $960,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Photronics during the 1st quarter valued at $47,902,000. LSV Asset Management lifted its holdings in shares of Photronics by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 2,883,463 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $92,271,000 after purchasing an additional 370,489 shares in the last quarter. Decker Retirement Planning Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Photronics in the first quarter valued at $3,935,000. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Photronics by 33.2% in the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 313,404 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $10,029,000 after purchasing an additional 78,166 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.38% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Photronics

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Photronics is scheduled to release fiscal third-quarter 2026 results on August 26, 2026. The report should provide updated information on demand for its photomask products and may help clarify the company’s earnings outlook. Photronics to Report Fiscal Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: The upcoming results are important because Photronics recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.42 per share, below the $0.53 analyst consensus, while revenue of $209.9 million also fell short of estimates. Management’s fiscal third-quarter guidance calls for EPS of $0.39 to $0.45.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized a securities class action against Photronics and urged investors to seek lead-plaintiff status by September 4, 2026. The lawsuit covers investors who purchased shares between December 10, 2025, and May 27, 2026, and alleges that Photronics misled investors about demand and the outlook for its high-end integrated-circuit photomask business. The allegations have not been proven, but the litigation could create legal costs, reputational risk and continued volatility for PLAB. Rosen Law Firm Photronics Securities Class Action Notice

Photronics Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of PLAB stock opened at $33.49 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $30.67 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.71. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.22 and a beta of 1.38. Photronics has a fifty-two week low of $20.05 and a fifty-two week high of $56.00.

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

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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