Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Stock Rating Lowered by Zacks Research

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on PLAB. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Craig Hallum lifted their price target on shares of Photronics from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.50.

Photronics Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of PLAB opened at $38.10 on Tuesday. Photronics has a fifty-two week low of $16.46 and a fifty-two week high of $39.80. The company’s fifty day moving average is $33.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.50. The firm has a market cap of $2.25 billion, a PE ratio of 16.64 and a beta of 1.52.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, December 10th. The semiconductor company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.13. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.87% and a net margin of 16.06%.The business had revenue of $215.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $204.54 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.59 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. Photronics has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.510-0.590 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Photronics will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.13, for a total transaction of $341,300.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 410,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,022,310.50. The trade was a 2.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Mary Paladino sold 11,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.11, for a total transaction of $394,987.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $836,320.20. This trade represents a 32.08% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 181,250 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,150. Corporate insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Photronics in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Photronics during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Photronics by 673.4% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,293 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Photronics by 723.8% in the fourth quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,417 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Photronics by 195.8% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,603 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,061 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

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.