Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Issues Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.400-0.560 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.420. The company issued revenue guidance of $207.0 million-$227.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $216.3 million.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on PLAB shares. Freedom Capital raised Photronics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 2nd. Zacks Research raised Photronics to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Lake Street Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th. Finally, Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.33.

Photronics Stock Performance

PLAB traded up $0.93 on Wednesday, hitting $30.25. The company had a trading volume of 8,237,017 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,263,536. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $30.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.48. Photronics has a 12-month low of $20.05 and a 12-month high of $56.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.04 and a beta of 1.38.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The semiconductor company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $216.05 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $208.75 million. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.69% and a net margin of 18.47%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.51 earnings per share. Photronics has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.400-0.560 EPS. Analysts forecast that Photronics will post 1.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More Photronics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly beat: Photronics reported adjusted EPS of $0.50, above the $0.40 analyst consensus, while revenue reached approximately $216 million versus expectations of about $209 million. Revenue increased 2.7% year over year, and GAAP diluted EPS was $0.49 compared with $0.51 a year earlier. Photronics Surpasses Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Improving chip-mask demand: Integrated-circuit revenue rose 5% year over year and sequentially to $154.7 million. High-end IC products represented a record 44% of IC revenue, helped by the return of previously delayed semiconductor design releases. Photronics Reports Third-Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Constructive guidance and balance sheet: Management forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $207 million to $227 million and non-GAAP diluted EPS of $0.40 to $0.56. Photronics ended the quarter with $672.8 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, supporting investor confidence in its ability to benefit from semiconductor and artificial-intelligence-related demand. Photronics Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary remains mixed: some view Photronics as a potential AI-boom beneficiary and rate the shares a consensus Buy, while others remain unimpressed by the pace and quality of the recovery. Recent reported price targets of $41 and $46 are above the current trading level, but do not guarantee future performance. Photronics Is Quietly Becoming a Key Winner From the AI Boom
• Negative Sentiment: Legal overhang: Multiple law firms are promoting a securities class action covering investors who purchased PLAB securities from December 10, 2025, through May 27, 2026. The lead-plaintiff deadline is September 4, 2026. The allegations remain unproven, but the litigation could add costs and reputational risk. Kaplan Fox Photronics Investor Alert
• Negative Sentiment: Reported insider-trading data shows 27 open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months, a potential confidence signal investors may monitor alongside the earnings recovery.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Photronics

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