Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Upgraded to Strong-Buy at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report issued on Saturday morning.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research downgraded Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Craig Hallum reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Photronics has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.50.

Photronics Stock Performance

NASDAQ PLAB opened at $33.55 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.94 billion, a PE ratio of 14.28 and a beta of 1.50. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $35.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.95. Photronics has a 52-week low of $16.46 and a 52-week high of $45.40.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.07. Photronics had a net margin of 15.83% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The company had revenue of $225.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $220.09 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. Photronics’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. On average, analysts forecast that Photronics will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Photronics

In other news, Director Mary Paladino sold 11,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.11, for a total value of $394,987.50. Following the sale, the director owned 23,820 shares in the company, valued at $836,320.20. This represents a 32.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Mitchell G. Tyson sold 5,000 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.21, for a total value of $176,050.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 43,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,521,036.79. This represents a 10.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 107,500 shares of company stock worth $3,723,638 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 3.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Photronics

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Photronics in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Photronics during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Quarry LP grew its position in shares of Photronics by 569.8% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,151 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Photronics by 723.8% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,417 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 1,245 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Photronics by 673.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,293 shares in the last quarter. 88.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Photronics Company 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.