Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Hits New 52-Week High After Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $45.40 and last traded at $44.3450, with a volume of 1449874 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $37.99.

The semiconductor company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.07. Photronics had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 7.87%. The business had revenue of $225.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.09 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS.

More Photronics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat on both EPS and revenue, signaling better-than-expected demand and margin performance; investors often reward beats with rallies. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Company reported record high-end IC revenue, a datapoint investors see as validating exposure to stronger semiconductor/IC demand segments. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually heavy call-option buying (about 5,920 calls, +194% vs. average) indicates short-term bullish positioning by traders and likely amplified the intraday move.
• Neutral Sentiment: Q2 guidance of $0.490–0.550 EPS and revenue $212–220M is broadly in line with consensus on EPS but the revenue midpoint is slightly below Wall Street’s view — this tempers the upside and sets expectations for Q2. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and media coverage framed today’s move as a reaction to the beat + positioning, but several outlets cautioned investors that upside may slow if Q2 results don’t outpace conservative guidance. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Although Q1 beat, the revenue guidance range and conservative tone introduce downside risk if customers slow orders in the next quarter — investors may reprice the stock if Q2 results miss the top end of the guided range. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on PLAB shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson upped their target price on Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research cut Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Craig Hallum boosted their price target on Photronics from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $43.50.

Insider Transactions at Photronics

In related news, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.53, for a total value of $770,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 493,350 shares in the company, valued at $19,008,775.50. This trade represents a 3.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Mary Paladino sold 11,250 shares of Photronics 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 directly owned 23,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $836,320.20. This represents a 32.08% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 181,250 shares of company stock valued at $6,317,150 in the last quarter. Insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its position in Photronics by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 105,784 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $3,385,000 after buying an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in shares of Photronics by 16.2% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,624 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Photronics by 29.1% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,917 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 432 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Photronics by 21.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kendall Capital Management lifted its position in Photronics by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Kendall Capital Management now owns 46,385 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,484,000 after purchasing an additional 555 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

Photronics Price Performance

The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $35.27 and its 200 day simple moving average is $27.77. The company has a market capitalization of $2.52 billion, a PE ratio of 19.03 and a beta of 1.52.

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.