Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Trading Up 8.8% – Should You Buy?

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) was up 8.8% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $34.75 and last traded at $34.1750. Approximately 623,432 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 47% from the average daily volume of 1,170,884 shares. The stock had previously closed at $31.42.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have weighed in on PLAB shares. Zacks Research raised Photronics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Craig Hallum lifted their price target on Photronics from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Photronics has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $43.50.

Photronics Trading Up 9.2%

The company has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a PE ratio of 14.99 and a beta of 1.52. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $28.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.27.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, December 10th. The semiconductor company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $215.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $204.54 million. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.87% and a net margin of 16.06%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.59 earnings per share. Photronics has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.510-0.590 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Photronics news, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.05, for a total transaction of $330,500.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 435,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,404,842.50. This trade represents a 2.24% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Mary Paladino sold 11,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.11, for a total value of $394,987.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 23,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $836,320.20. This represents a 32.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 157,500 shares of company stock worth $5,505,038. Corporate insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of PLAB. Inspire Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Photronics by 201.3% during the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 62,556 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,436,000 after purchasing an additional 41,791 shares during the period. Boston Partners increased its holdings in Photronics by 2.9% during the second quarter. Boston Partners now owns 826,718 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $15,706,000 after buying an additional 23,037 shares during the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its holdings in Photronics by 17.2% during the second quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 2,607,874 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $49,106,000 after buying an additional 383,355 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Photronics in the first quarter worth approximately $648,000. Finally, Voya Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Photronics by 16.1% during the 1st quarter. Voya Investment Management LLC now owns 204,238 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $4,240,000 after acquiring an additional 28,345 shares during the last quarter. 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.