The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Acquires Shares of 30,421 Photronics, Inc. $PLAB

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 30,421 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $990,000.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of Photronics by 30.1% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 219,290 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,553,000 after buying an additional 50,707 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in Photronics by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 36,647 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $761,000 after acquiring an additional 1,600 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in Photronics by 14.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 96,752 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,009,000 after acquiring an additional 12,159 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Photronics by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 62,441 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,296,000 after purchasing an additional 3,526 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Photronics by 21.5% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 273,646 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $5,153,000 after purchasing an additional 48,342 shares during the period. 88.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Photronics Price Performance

Photronics stock opened at $29.13 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.26 and a beta of 1.35. Photronics, Inc. has a 12-month low of $20.05 and a 12-month high of $56.00. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $30.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.99.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 26th. The semiconductor company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $216.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.75 million. Photronics had a net margin of 19.05% and a return on equity of 7.45%. The company’s revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.51 earnings per share. Photronics has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.400-0.560 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Photronics, Inc. will post 1.85 EPS for the current year.

Key Photronics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Photronics recently reported quarterly EPS of $0.50, exceeding the $0.40 consensus estimate, while revenue of $216.1 million also topped expectations. Revenue increased 2.7% year over year, and management’s fourth-quarter EPS guidance of $0.40–$0.56 suggests continued profitability.
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple law firms, including Kaplan Fox, Rosen, Hagens Berman, Faruqi & Faruqi, and others, reminded investors of the September 4, 2026 deadline to seek lead-plaintiff status in a previously filed federal securities class action. These notices largely repeat the same information rather than representing separate lawsuits or new company operating results. Kaplan Fox deadline notice
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit covers investors who acquired Photronics securities from December 10, 2025, through May 27, 2026. The complaints allege that Photronics misled investors about demand and the outlook for its high-end integrated-circuit photomask product line, potentially exposing the company to litigation costs, reputational damage, and shareholder claims. The allegations have not been proven. Hagens Berman lawsuit notice

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PLAB has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Photronics from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Photronics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Zacks Research raised Photronics to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. One equities research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.33.

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.