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For the to-be-reported quarter, PLAB expects revenues between $212 million and $220 million. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be between 49 cents and 55 cents per share.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $217.32 million, suggesting a 3% year-over-year rise. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at 53 cents per share, down 1 penny over the past 30 days, indicating 32.5% growth from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing once, with the average surprise being 13.68%.
Let’s see how things are likely to have shaped up before this announcement.
Factors Likely to Have Influenced PLAB’s Q2 Results
Photronics' second-quarter fiscal 2026 results are likely to have been influenced by continued strength in high-end IC demand. The company stated that order demand remained healthy for masks supporting AI-driven chip packaging applications and High-NA EUV development projects, partially offsetting the seasonal impact of the Chinese New Year holiday.
China is likely to have remained a major growth driver during the quarter. Management noted increasing migration by Chinese customers toward 22nm and 28nm technologies, resulting in additional tape-outs and stronger demand for advanced photomasks. The company also emphasized its strong competitive positioning in China’s high-end market, where customer qualification barriers remain high for new entrants.
The company’s high-end product mix is likely to have supported margins in the fiscal second quarter of 2026. High-end masks carry significantly higher ASPs and contribute meaningfully to profitability. Photronics also continued maximizing utilization at its Boise facility while preparing the Allen expansion project to support mainstream production and free up capacity for advanced-node opportunities. Flat Panel Display performance was also likely aided by strong mainstream demand tied to China’s IT display market. The company stated that larger-sized display projects aligned well with its manufacturing strengths. Growing adoption of AMOLED and emerging G8.6 technologies likely further supported advanced FPD mask demand.
However, the second-quarter fiscal 2026 performance was likely affected by seasonal weakness from the Chinese New Year holiday. The company explained that customer tape-out activity slowed temporarily during the holiday period, impacting output and creating slightly lower sequential revenue expectations despite stable underlying market demand.
What Our Model Says About PLAB
Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here.
Photronics currently has an Earnings ESP of -2.86% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks to Consider
Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in their upcoming releases:
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
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Photronics to Report Q2 Earnings: What's in the Cards for the Stock?
Key Takeaways
Photronics (PLAB - Free Report) is set to report its second-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May 28.
For the to-be-reported quarter, PLAB expects revenues between $212 million and $220 million. Non-GAAP earnings are expected to be between 49 cents and 55 cents per share.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $217.32 million, suggesting a 3% year-over-year rise. The consensus mark for earnings is pinned at 53 cents per share, down 1 penny over the past 30 days, indicating 32.5% growth from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.
The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while missing once, with the average surprise being 13.68%.
Photronics, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Photronics, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Photronics, Inc. Quote
Let’s see how things are likely to have shaped up before this announcement.
Factors Likely to Have Influenced PLAB’s Q2 Results
Photronics' second-quarter fiscal 2026 results are likely to have been influenced by continued strength in high-end IC demand. The company stated that order demand remained healthy for masks supporting AI-driven chip packaging applications and High-NA EUV development projects, partially offsetting the seasonal impact of the Chinese New Year holiday.
China is likely to have remained a major growth driver during the quarter. Management noted increasing migration by Chinese customers toward 22nm and 28nm technologies, resulting in additional tape-outs and stronger demand for advanced photomasks. The company also emphasized its strong competitive positioning in China’s high-end market, where customer qualification barriers remain high for new entrants.
The company’s high-end product mix is likely to have supported margins in the fiscal second quarter of 2026. High-end masks carry significantly higher ASPs and contribute meaningfully to profitability. Photronics also continued maximizing utilization at its Boise facility while preparing the Allen expansion project to support mainstream production and free up capacity for advanced-node opportunities.
Flat Panel Display performance was also likely aided by strong mainstream demand tied to China’s IT display market. The company stated that larger-sized display projects aligned well with its manufacturing strengths. Growing adoption of AMOLED and emerging G8.6 technologies likely further supported advanced FPD mask demand.
However, the second-quarter fiscal 2026 performance was likely affected by seasonal weakness from the Chinese New Year holiday. The company explained that customer tape-out activity slowed temporarily during the holiday period, impacting output and creating slightly lower sequential revenue expectations despite stable underlying market demand.
What Our Model Says About PLAB
Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here.
Photronics currently has an Earnings ESP of -2.86% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks to Consider
Here are some companies worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings in their upcoming releases:
Dell Technologies (DELL - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +3.79% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Dell Technologies shares have surged 134.5% in the year-to-date period. The company is set to report its first-quarter 2027 results on May 28, 2026.
Salesforce (CRM - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.40% and a Zacks Rank #2.
Salesforce shares have lost 32% in the year-to-date period. CRM is set to report its first-quarter fiscal 2027 results on May 27, 2026.
TD SYNNEX CORP (SNX - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.91% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present.
TD SYNNEX shares have gained 58% in the year-to-date period. SNX is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on June 23.