Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Stock Rating Upgraded by Freedom Capital

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Freedom Capital to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on PLAB. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Lake Street Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $55.00 target price on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised Photronics from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.33.

Photronics Stock Down 4.8%

PLAB opened at $28.86 on Thursday. Photronics has a twelve month low of $18.61 and a twelve month high of $56.00. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.53 and a beta of 1.37.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 28th. The semiconductor company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.11). Photronics had a return on equity of 7.69% and a net margin of 18.47%.The firm had revenue of $209.94 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $216.47 million. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.40 earnings per share. Photronics has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.390-0.450 EPS.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, COO Hsueh-Chun Wang sold 19,250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.30, for a total value of $872,025.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 113,560 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,144,268. This represents a 14.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Eric Rivera sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.77, for a total value of $44,770.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 136,173 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,096,465.21. This trade represents a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 306,144 shares of company stock valued at $13,469,859. Corporate insiders own 3.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PLAB. Janus Henderson Group PLC raised its stake in Photronics by 32.5% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 823,488 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $33,289,000 after buying an additional 202,040 shares during the last quarter. Amundi bought a new stake in Photronics during the first quarter valued at $265,000. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in Photronics by 23.8% during the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 69,484 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $2,808,000 after acquiring an additional 13,337 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Photronics by 1.6% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 290,142 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $11,725,000 after acquiring an additional 4,540 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Photronics by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 27,512 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,112,000 after acquiring an additional 1,968 shares during the period. 88.38% of the stock is owned by 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.