Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Shares Up 8.6% – Time to Buy?

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB)’s share price was up 8.6% during mid-day trading 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 brokerages have weighed in on PLAB. Lake Street Capital began coverage on Photronics in a report on Friday. They set a “buy” rating and a $46.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research cut shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and issued a $48.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.33.

Photronics Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $2.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.46 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $35.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $29.45.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last released 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.09 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. Photronics’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Mary Paladino sold 11,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.11, for a total value of $394,987.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 23,820 shares in the company, valued at $836,320.20. This represents a 32.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.13, for a total value of $341,300.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 410,850 shares in the company, valued at $14,022,310.50. The trade was a 2.38% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 78,750 shares of company stock worth $2,694,425 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 3.30% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Photronics

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in Photronics by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 105,784 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,385,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Photronics by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,624 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Photronics by 29.1% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,917 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 432 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Photronics by 21.9% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $83,000 after buying an additional 469 shares during the period. Finally, Kendall Capital Management increased its position in shares of Photronics by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Kendall Capital Management now owns 46,385 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,484,000 after acquiring an additional 555 shares in 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.