Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Downgraded by Zacks Research to "Hold"

Key Points

• Zacks Research downgraded Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) from strong-buy to hold, even though the broader analyst view remains Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $49.33.
• Photronics shares were trading at $52.01, near the top of their 52-week range of $16.59 to $56.00. The stock also has a market cap of about $3.07 billion and a P/E ratio of 22.13.
• The company recently beat quarterly earnings and revenue estimates, reporting $0.61 EPS versus $0.54 expected and revenue of $225.07 million. It also guided Q2 2026 EPS to 0.490-0.550.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Zacks Research from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

PLAB has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Craig Hallum restated a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings raised Photronics from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Lake Street Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $55.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Photronics from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $49.33.

Photronics Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of Photronics stock opened at $52.01 on Wednesday. Photronics has a twelve month low of $16.59 and a twelve month high of $56.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $43.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $35.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.13 and a beta of 1.51.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total value of $1,826,748.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 136,173 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,991,612. The trade was a 23.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 20,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the transaction, the director owned 355,850 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,340,632. The trade was a 5.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 346,144 shares of company stock worth $15,061,759. 3.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PLAB. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Photronics by 699.0% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,305,610 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $52,914,000 after purchasing an additional 2,017,052 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Photronics by 395.9% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,536,374 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $49,164,000 after purchasing an additional 1,226,588 shares during the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Photronics during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $47,902,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of Photronics by 2,201.5% during the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 621,448 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $19,883,000 after purchasing an additional 594,446 shares during the last quarter. Finally, LSV Asset Management grew its holdings in shares of Photronics by 14.7% during the 4th 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 during the last quarter. 88.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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