Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 0.390-0.450 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.530. The company issued revenue guidance of $207.0 million-$215.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $218.7 million.

Photronics Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ PLAB traded down $19.49 during trading on Thursday, reaching $34.02. The stock had a trading volume of 10,481,777 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,122,246. Photronics has a one year low of $16.59 and a one year high of $56.00. The stock has a market cap of $2.01 billion, a PE ratio of 14.48 and a beta of 1.51. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $46.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.20.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The semiconductor company reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by ($0.11). Photronics had a net margin of 15.83% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The firm had revenue of $209.94 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $216.47 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.40 earnings per share. Photronics’s revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.390-0.450 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Photronics will post 2.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Lake Street Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 1st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Photronics from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Craig Hallum reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Photronics has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $49.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Photronics

In other news, CFO Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total transaction of $1,826,748.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 136,173 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,991,612. This represents a 23.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.92, for a total value of $918,400.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 355,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,340,632. The trade was a 5.32% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 346,144 shares of company stock valued at $15,061,759. Corporate insiders own 3.30% of the company’s stock.

Key Photronics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Photronics reported fiscal Q2 2026 earnings of $0.42 per share, below the $0.53 consensus estimate, while revenue of $209.94 million also came in under expectations. Photronics Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Management highlighted temporary but meaningful pressures, including delayed design releases, elevated fab utilization rates, memory supply constraints, cost pressure for OEMs, and geopolitical uncertainty, which weighed on the outlook. PLAB INVESTOR ALERT: Holzer & Holzer, LLC Investigation of Photronics, Inc.
• Negative Sentiment: Several law firms announced securities-fraud investigations after the earnings release, adding overhang and suggesting investors are reacting to the sharp post-earnings selloff. Ongoing Photronics, Inc. (PLAB) Investigation: Protect Your Rights – Contact Levi & Korsinsky
• Neutral Sentiment: Media coverage is broadly focused on the earnings miss and the company’s softer guidance commentary, reinforcing the negative sentiment around the stock. Why Photronics Stock Is Plummeting Today

Institutional Trading of Photronics

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