Sifting through countless of stocks in the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Photronics, Inc., ACM Research or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc.

Photronics, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of photomask products and services in the United States, Taiwan, China, Korea, Europe, and internationally. It offers photomasks that are used in the manufacture of integrated circuits and flat panel displays (FPDs); and to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor wafers, and FDP substrates. The company offers electrical and optical components. It sells its products to semiconductor and FPD designers, manufacturers, and foundries, as well as to other high-performance electronics manufacturers through its sales personnel and customer service representatives. The company was formerly known as Photronic Labs, Inc. and changed its name to Photronics, Inc. in 1990. Photronics, Inc. was incorporated in 1969 and is based in Brookfield, Connecticut.

ACM Research, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, and sells capital equipment worldwide. It also develops, manufactures, and sells a range of packaging tools to wafer assembly and packaging customers. The company provides Wet Cleaning Equipment for Front End Production Processes; Ultra C SAPS II and Ultra C SAPS V which are a single-wafer, serial-processing tool used to remove random defects from wafer surfaces or interconnects and barrier metals as part of the chip front-end fabrication process or for recycling test wafers; and Ultra C TEBO II and Ultra C TEBO V, a single-wafer, serial-processing tool used at numerous manufacturing processing steps for cleaning of chips at process nodes of 28nm or less. In addition, it offers Ultra-C Tahoe wafer cleaning tool that delivers high cleaning performance using significantly less sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide than is typically consumed by conventional high-temperature single-wafer cleaning tools; and advanced packaging tools, such as coaters, developers, photoresist strippers, scrubbers, wet etchers, and copper-plating tools. Further, the company provides e Ultra fn Furnace, a dry processing tool; Ultra Pmax™ PECVD tool, for film uniformity; Ultra Track tool, a 300mm process tool that delivers air downflow, robot handling, and customizable software to address specific customer requirements; and a suite of semi-critical cleaning systems which include single wafer back side cleaning, scrubber, and auto bench cleaning tools. It markets and sells its products under the SAPS, TEBO, ULTRA C, ULTRA Fn, Ultra ECP, Ultra ECP map, and Ultra ECP ap trademarks through direct sales force and third-party representatives. ACM Research, Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Fremont, California.

Latest Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment and Photronics, Inc., ACM Research, Inc. Stock News

As of December 10, 2025, Photronics, Inc. had a $2.2 billion market capitalization, compared to the Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment median of $2.8 million. Photronics, Inc.’s stock is up 68.4% in 2025, up 65.2% in the previous five trading days and up 5.89% in the past year.

Currently, Photronics, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 14.5. Photronics, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $856.2 million with a 16.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -0.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.870 per share for the current fiscal year. Photronics, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

As of December 10, 2025, ACM Research, Inc. had a $2.6 billion market cap, putting it in the 59th percentile of all stocks. ACM Research, Inc.’s stock is up 164.8% in 2025, up 15.5% in the previous five trading days and up 165.14% in the past year.

Currently, ACM Research, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 22.9. ACM Research, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $880.4 million with a 13.3% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 32.0%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.833 per share for the current fiscal year. ACM Research, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Photronics, Inc.	PLAB	A
ACM Research, Inc.	ACMR	D

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Photronics, Inc. has a Growth Score of 87, which is Very Strong. ACM Research, Inc. has a Growth Score of 31, which is Weak.

The Growth Grade Winner: Photronics, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Growth Grade breakdown above, Photronics, Inc. has a more attractive growth grade than ACM Research, Inc.. For investors who focus solely on how a company is growing relative to other companies in the same industry, Photronics, Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Photronics, Inc.	PLAB	C
ACM Research, Inc.	ACMR	A

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Photronics, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 57, which is Average. ACM Research, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 93, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: ACM Research, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, ACM Research, Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to Photronics, Inc.. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, ACM Research, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Photronics, Inc.	PLAB	C
ACM Research, Inc.	ACMR	D

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Photronics, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 56, which is Neutral. ACM Research, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 24, which is Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Photronics, Inc., ACM Research or Inc. has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Photronics, Inc., ACM Research or Inc. is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Other Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc. Grades

In addition to Growth, Momentum and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Photronics, Inc., ACM Research or Inc. Stock?

Overall, Photronics, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 87, Momentum Score of 57 and Estimate Revisions Score of 56.

ACM Research, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 31, Momentum Score of 93 and Estimate Revisions Score of 24.

Comparing Photronics, Inc., ACM Research and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.