9,486,185 Shares in Photronics, Inc. $PLAB Purchased by BlackRock Inc.

BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 9,486,185 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $308,586,000. BlackRock Inc. owned 0.16% of Photronics as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PLAB. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Photronics by 30.1% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 219,290 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,553,000 after purchasing an additional 50,707 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its position 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 worth $761,000 after purchasing an additional 1,600 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in Photronics by 14.4% during 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 worth $2,009,000 after buying an additional 12,159 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC boosted 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 buying an additional 3,526 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Photronics by 21.5% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 273,646 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $5,153,000 after buying an additional 48,342 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PLAB. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 13th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Photronics to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Photronics to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Lake Street Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Photronics currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $49.33.

Photronics Trading Up 3.2%

NASDAQ:PLAB opened at $30.25 on Thursday. Photronics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $20.05 and a 1 year high of $56.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $30.82 and a 200-day moving average of $37.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.04 and a beta of 1.38.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The semiconductor company reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.40 by $0.10. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.69% and a net margin of 18.47%.The business had revenue of $216.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.75 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.51 EPS. Photronics’s revenue for the quarter was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. 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 fiscal year.

More Photronics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Photronics reported fiscal Q3 revenue of approximately $216.1 million, up 2.7% year over year and above the roughly $208.8 million consensus estimate. Adjusted EPS of $0.50 exceeded expectations of $0.40, while GAAP diluted EPS was $0.49. Photronics Q3 Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Management’s results suggested improving photomask demand. Integrated-circuit revenue rose 5% year over year and sequentially to $154.7 million, with high-end IC products reaching a record 44% of IC revenue. Management also said previously delayed semiconductor design releases returned during the quarter, supporting revenue and margins. Photronics Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Fourth-quarter guidance calls for revenue of $207 million to $227 million and non-GAAP EPS of $0.40 to $0.56. The midpoint is broadly consistent with analyst expectations, indicating resilient demand but limited near-term upside relative to the strong Q3 beat. Flat-panel-display revenue declined 2% year over year and sequentially, partially offsetting IC strength.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms publicized a securities class action alleging that Photronics misled investors about demand and the outlook for its high-end IC photomask business. The alleged class period is December 10, 2025, through May 27, 2026, with a September 4, 2026 lead-plaintiff deadline. The allegations have not been proven, but the litigation could add reputational, financial, and investor-confidence risks. Photronics Securities Class Action Alert
• Negative Sentiment: Trading data cited 27 open-market insider sales and no purchases over the past six months. While sales may reflect scheduled transactions or personal liquidity needs, the absence of insider buying can temper investor confidence following the earnings-driven move.

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.