Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Releases Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) updated its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.400-0.560 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 0.420. The company issued revenue guidance of $207.0 million-$227.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $216.3 million.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on PLAB shares. Zacks Research raised Photronics to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Lake Street Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Freedom Capital raised Photronics to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.33.

Photronics Price Performance

PLAB stock opened at $30.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.65 and a beta of 1.38. Photronics has a 52-week low of $20.05 and a 52-week high of $56.00. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $30.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $37.40.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 26th. The semiconductor company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $216.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.75 million. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.45% and a net margin of 19.05%.Photronics’s quarterly revenue was up 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.51 earnings per share. Photronics has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 0.400-0.560 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Photronics 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 $216.0 million, up 2.7% year over year and above the roughly $208.8 million analyst consensus. Adjusted EPS was $0.50, beating estimates of $0.40, while GAAP diluted EPS was $0.49. Photronics Surpasses Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Management said delayed semiconductor design releases recovered during the quarter. Integrated-circuit revenue rose 5% year over year and sequentially to $154.7 million, and high-end IC products reached a record 44% of IC revenue—signs that demand for advanced photomasks is improving. Photronics Q3 Earnings Call Highlights
• Positive Sentiment: Fourth-quarter guidance was broadly constructive: revenue of $207 million-$227 million, versus consensus of $216.3 million, and non-GAAP EPS of $0.40-$0.56, compared with an estimate of $0.42. Photronics also ended the quarter with $672.8 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. Photronics Beats Estimates and Gives Q4 Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts cited recovery in high-end IC demand as a catalyst, with recently reported price targets ranging from $41 to $46, well above the stock’s stated $30.26 opening level. However, the available target coverage is limited.
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple law firms publicized a securities class action against Photronics and its officers. The suit alleges that the company’s disclosures between December 10, 2025 and May 27, 2026 understated known bottlenecks and risks in its high-end IC design-release pipeline. Investors have until September 4, 2026, to seek lead-plaintiff status. The allegations have not been proven, but the litigation creates reputational, financial and disclosure risk. Photronics Investor Class Action Deadline
• Negative Sentiment: Recent data showing 27 open-market insider sales and no purchases may weigh on sentiment, although such transactions do not necessarily indicate management’s outlook.

Institutional Trading of Photronics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Photronics by 395.9% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,536,374 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $49,164,000 after buying an additional 1,226,588 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV raised its position in Photronics by 7.7% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 18,849 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $603,000 after acquiring an additional 1,346 shares in the last quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Photronics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $390,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Photronics by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 285,602 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $9,139,000 after acquiring an additional 2,828 shares during the last quarter. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in Photronics in the fourth quarter worth approximately $969,000. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Photronics

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.