Lazard Asset Management LLC Buys Shares of 117,365 Photronics, Inc. $PLAB

Lazard Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 117,365 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,743,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.20% of Photronics at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hilltop Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in Photronics in the 1st quarter worth about $350,000. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in Photronics by 112.0% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 127,208 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $5,140,000 after purchasing an additional 67,203 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in Photronics during the first quarter valued at about $377,000. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its position in Photronics by 16.4% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 20,818 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $841,000 after purchasing an additional 2,929 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Dempsey Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Photronics during the first quarter worth about $116,000. Institutional investors own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PLAB has been the topic of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Lake Street Capital restated a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Craig Hallum reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 13th. Two research analysts have 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 MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $49.33.

Photronics Stock Performance

Photronics stock opened at $30.29 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 1.37. Photronics, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $19.44 and a fifty-two week high of $56.00. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $31.95 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.79.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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). The business had revenue of $209.94 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $216.47 million. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.69% and a net margin of 18.47%.The company’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.40 EPS. Photronics has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.390-0.450 EPS.

Key Headlines Impacting Photronics

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms—including Hagens Berman, Kaplan Fox, Faruqi & Faruqi, Robbins LLP, and others—are soliciting investors who purchased Photronics securities between December 10, 2025, and May 27, 2026. The September 4, 2026 deadline is for investors seeking appointment as lead plaintiff; these notices are largely duplicative procedural updates. Hagens Berman investigation
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit and related investigations allege that Photronics misled investors about demand and the outlook for its high-end integrated-circuit photomask business, including allegedly overstating the strength and sustainability of customer demand. If proven, the claims could create legal costs, potential damages, and reputational risk. Robbins LLP lawsuit notice
• Negative Sentiment: The allegations follow Photronics’ May 28 earnings release, when the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.42 versus a $0.53 consensus estimate and revenue of $209.94 million versus expectations of $216.47 million. Revenue also declined slightly year over year, while third-quarter guidance of $0.39–$0.45 per share suggested limited near-term upside. SueWallSt shareholder alert

Photronics 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.