Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Trading 8.6% Higher – Still a Buy?

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) was up 8.6% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $39.32 and last traded at $39.4730. Approximately 234,352 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 79% from the average daily volume of 1,135,629 shares. The stock had previously closed at $36.34.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on PLAB shares. Craig Hallum reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Zacks Research cut shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Lake Street Capital began coverage on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, March 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $46.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Photronics currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.33.

Photronics Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $2.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.09 and a beta of 1.50. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $36.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $29.71.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.07. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 15.83%.The business had revenue of $225.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $220.09 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.52 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. Research analysts predict that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other Photronics news, Director Mitchell G. Tyson sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.21, for a total transaction of $176,050.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 43,199 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,521,036.79. This trade represents a 10.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Han Kyung Park sold 7,500 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.70, for a total transaction of $252,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 81,750 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,754,975. This trade represents a 8.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 88,750 shares of company stock worth $3,052,425. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Photronics by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 105,784 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $3,385,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its position in Photronics by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,624 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Photronics by 29.1% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Photronics by 21.9% during the fourth 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 last quarter. Finally, Kendall Capital Management lifted its position in Photronics by 1.2% during the fourth 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 last quarter. Institutional investors 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.