Photronics, Inc. (PLAB)
NASDAQInformation TechnologySemiconductorsSnapshot 2026-10-29
$27.58-5.29%
Close 2026-10-30 · 1-day change
NASDAQInformation TechnologySemiconductorsSnapshot 2026-10-29
Research Workspace
Put PLAB beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Semiconductor Materials & Equipment is in expansion. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
Primary pillar under pressure — Increase EPS to at least $0.42 next quarter: Diluted EPS: $0.49 per share.
View ThesisRevenue is growing steadily — about 1% over the past year.
View GrowthManagement screens strong on margins.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationThis stock is highly volatile — it swings about 2% on a typical day and fell roughly 51% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskPhotronics’ case rests on earnings power, though revenue growth remains modest and uneven. Q3 FY2026 revenue grew 2.7% year over year after declining 0.5% in Q2. Q3 non-GAAP EPS beat consensus by 25%. PLAB trades at 14× P/E versus the 42× peer median. Our expectations view says the price reflects less growth than we forecast. A 22% next-quarter miss probability and the pressured EPS pillar threaten the case. Peer multiples imply a price about 39% above where it trades. The thesis is on watch.
Trailing returns as of 2026-10-30. PLAB is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Based on 3 analysts currently covering PLAB (as of Oct 2026).
Analyst ratings and price targets are third-party Wall Street estimates, not QuarterlyIQ’s view. Not investment advice.
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Compare PLAB with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLAB Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 10 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-10-29. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Semiconductor Materials & Equipment — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Our valuation methods disagree too much on this name right now. Rather than print a number we don't believe, we're holding it back until they converge.
Compare the value case
Put PLAB next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Strengthen position at high end of photomask market
Texas and Korea capacity expansion supports advanced-mask growth and high-end market positioning.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-10-30. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
A second lens on the 12-month fair value: for companies that score high on measured quality (profitability, balance-sheet safety, earnings stability), this read trusts more of today's profit margins instead of averaging them toward their multi-year history the way the headline number does. Shown alongside the fair value above, not in place of it. A diagnostic, not a price target or a buy/sell signal.
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
Advances: Maintain revenue growth trajectory
Quarterly results and management commentary provide updated evidence on revenue trajectory.
Advances: Maintain revenue growth trajectory
Earnings-call details provide updated evidence on revenue trajectory and business conditions.
Advances: Strengthen position at high end of photomask market
Record high-end IC revenue directly supports the premium photomask growth objective.
Threatens: Maintain revenue growth trajectory
Critical review flags weak performance, though it is analyst commentary rather than new disclosure.
Advances: Maintain revenue growth trajectory
Q4 revenue guidance establishes a growth outlook, while wider range reflects visibility uncertainty.
Advances: Maintain revenue growth trajectory
Call transcript provides updated company commentary on revenue trajectory and outlook.
Advances: Maintain revenue growth trajectory
Earnings beat is positive evidence, though stock-price reversal is not fundamental news.
