Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Key Points

• Photronics issued Q3 2026 guidance below Wall Street expectations, forecasting EPS of $0.39-$0.45 versus a consensus estimate of $0.53.
• The company also guided for revenue of $207 million-$215 million, missing analysts’ estimate of $218.7 million and reinforcing concern after a recent earnings miss.
• Following the update, PLAB shares plunged, trading down sharply on heavy volume as investors reacted to the softer outlook and broader negative sentiment around the stock.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.390-0.450 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.530. The company issued revenue guidance of $207.0 million-$215.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $218.7 million.

Photronics Trading Down 36.4%

Shares of Photronics stock traded down $19.49 on Thursday, reaching $34.02. The stock had a trading volume of 10,481,777 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,122,246. Photronics has a 1 year low of $16.59 and a 1 year high of $56.00. The company has a market cap of $2.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.48 and a beta of 1.51. The business's 50 day moving average is $46.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.11.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The semiconductor company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.11). Photronics had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 15.83%.The firm had revenue of $209.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $216.47 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.40 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.390-0.450 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Photronics will post 2.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PLAB has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Photronics from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Photronics from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Photronics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Craig Hallum restated a "buy" rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Lake Street Capital restated a "buy" rating and issued a $55.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Photronics currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $49.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares of the company'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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 136,173 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,991,612. This represents a 23.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Constantine S. Macricostas sold 50,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.35, for a total transaction of $2,267,500.00. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 346,144 shares of company stock valued at $15,061,759 in the last 90 days. 3.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Photronics News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Photronics reported fiscal Q2 2026 earnings of $0.42 per share, below the $0.53 consensus estimate, while revenue of $209.94 million also came in under expectations. Photronics Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Management highlighted temporary but meaningful pressures, including delayed design releases, elevated fab utilization rates, memory supply constraints, cost pressure for OEMs, and geopolitical uncertainty, which weighed on the outlook. PLAB INVESTOR ALERT: Holzer & Holzer, LLC Investigation of Photronics, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced securities-fraud investigations after the earnings release, adding overhang and suggesting investors are reacting to the sharp post-earnings selloff. Ongoing Photronics, Inc. (PLAB) Investigation: Protect Your Rights - Contact Levi & Korsinsky
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage is broadly focused on the earnings miss and the company’s softer guidance commentary, reinforcing the negative sentiment around the stock. Why Photronics Stock Is Plummeting Today

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Invesco Ltd. grew its position in Photronics by 395.9% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,536,374 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $49,164,000 after acquiring an additional 1,226,588 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its position in Photronics by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 18,849 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $603,000 after acquiring an additional 1,346 shares during the last quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Photronics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $390,000. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in Photronics by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 285,602 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $9,139,000 after acquiring an additional 2,828 shares during the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Photronics during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $969,000. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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