Latest news with #PLAB
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Saiyed family buried together on 9th day of tragedy
Ahmedabad: Hundreds from the Khanpur neighbourhood in the walled city joined the Saiyed family on Saturday afternoon to bid a final farewell to four of its members. They parted with the family on June 12 on their journey to England, promising to meet again for another festival celebration. The Saiyed family came to India from England and was returning with their daughter after celebrating the festival of Eid-ul-Adha with family members. All four — Inayat Ali Saiyed, his wife Nafeesabanu, daughter Taskin, and son Vaqi Ali — became victims of a tragic plane crash a couple of hours after family members in Ahmedabad went to the airport for a sendoff. The Saiyed family, consisting of six brothers who live together in one building in the Khanpur area, waited for nine days before all of them were identified after the DNA match, allowing them to bury their dear ones. Inayat's eldest brother, Badesaab Saiyed, said that three bodies were identified two days ago, but Nafeesabanu's DNA matched on Saturday. "It was a feeling of our family members that we should bury all four members together, and therefore we waited for two more days," he said after returning from the burial at the Musa Suhag graveyard. Inayat and his wife lived in Wembley for 19 years. Their son, Vaqi, shifted to England a few years ago after completing his schooling. Taskin joined her parents in the UK to begin a new chapter in her life. She completed her MBBS from the NHL Medical College in Ahmedabad. Her uncle said that she cleared the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) exam conducted by the General Medical Council and became eligible to practice medicine in England. "She planned to pursue her postgraduation in the UK only. But she was supposed to join a hospital as a doctor there after 15 days. That is why she joined her parents," he said.
NDTV
10-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Why Do Indian Students Opt For Medical Education Abroad
With the number of NEET-UG aspirants reaching nearly 23 lakh in 2025 and just around 1.1 lakh MBBS seats available across the country, a growing number of Indian students are turning to medical colleges abroad to fulfil their ambitions. The sharp demand-supply imbalance in India's medical education system is prompting many to seek opportunities in countries across Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. Out of the total seats, approximately 55,000 are in government medical colleges where tuition fees are subsidised. The intense competition for these limited seats forces many high-scoring candidates to either look at costly private colleges or explore options abroad. This trend, experts say, is driven by necessity rather than choice. "Studying abroad can ease the academic pressure typical of the Indian medical entrance system," said a medical education consultant. "International programmes often offer multiple intakes and more flexible admission criteria, considering a student's overall academic profile, language skills, extracurricular achievements, and interview performance," Arunesh Kumar, Country Head - India & South East Asia, Manipal's American University of Antigua (AUA) College of Medicine. Beyond accessibility, global medical universities are also attracting Indian students with modern infrastructure, integrated curricula, and early clinical exposure. Many Caribbean medical schools, for instance, combine foundational education on island campuses with clinical training in hospitals in the United States. Such programmes allow students to interact with peers from diverse nationalities and gain a global perspective essential for today's healthcare systems. Accreditation is another factor shaping the decision. Many international medical universities are listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) and are recognised by global bodies such as the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), and region-specific authorities like the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (CAAM-HP). These recognitions enable graduates to pursue licensure in countries such as the US, UK, and Canada, through standardised exams like USMLE or PLAB. For students seeking specialisation and a global career trajectory, international medical education offers a structured path. "While studying medicine abroad comes with challenges such as cultural adaptation and passing foreign licensing exams, it remains a strategic option," the consultant added. "For those unable to secure domestic seats or those aiming for global careers, it's not a fallback - it's a forward-looking decision."
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Photronics, Inc. (PLAB): A Bull Case Theory
We came across a bullish thesis on Photronics, Inc. (PLAB) on Enterprising Investor's Substack by Tyler Moody. In this article, we will summarize the bulls' thesis on PLAB. Photronics, Inc. (PLAB)'s share was trading at $18.11 as of 6th June. PLAB's trailing P/E was 9.38 according to Yahoo Finance. A close-up of a semiconductor component, highlighting its complex design. Photronics (PLAB) appears to be an overlooked semiconductor name trading at a compelling valuation, particularly on a free cash flow basis. The company, which manufactures photolithography masks essential to integrated circuit and flat panel display production, is down nearly 50% from early 2024 highs and 24% year-to-date, now trading at a $1.14B market cap. With 11 manufacturing sites globally and 85% of sales coming from outside the U.S.—notably 33% from Taiwan and 25% from China—PLAB is a global player with geographic risk exposure. Much of the recent investor pessimism stems from its China exposure amid trade tensions, and from the nature of mask demand itself, which depends on new chip designs rather than chip volume. Slower product rollouts have thus dampened near-term growth, and weak demand in auto and industrial end markets hasn't helped. However, the emerging wave of AI-enabled chips could fuel a surge in new designs, providing a tailwind for PLAB over the next year. Photronics has been strategically shifting toward higher-end masks with better margins, and despite recent cyclical weakness, it remains fundamentally solid. It has $558M in cash and no debt, which supports resilience through industry downturns. Over the last three years, PLAB averaged $154M in free cash flow, putting its FCF multiple at just 7.4x—an attractive level for value-focused investors. While it doesn't pay a dividend, it has actively repurchased shares, buying back $77M worth over the past year. Though uncertainties remain, the setup suggests a classic cyclical value opportunity with upside potential as demand normalizes. Previously, we covered a on Monro (MNRO) by the same author, highlighting its depressed valuation, high yield, and potential for recovery despite ongoing consumer weakness. With an 8.75% dividend yield, low debt, and cheap FCF and book multiples, Monro's stock since then has appreciated by approximately 28%. Photronics (PLAB) presents a similarly contrarian setup: a debt-free, cash-rich semiconductor supplier trading at 7.4x FCF, positioned to benefit from a rebound in AI-driven chip design. Both offer value upside, but with different risk-reward profiles. Photronics, Inc. (PLAB) is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 25 hedge fund portfolios held PLAB at the end of the first quarter which was 23 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of PLAB as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 8 Best Wide Moat Stocks to Buy Now and 30 Most Important AI Stocks According to BlackRock. Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Photronics Inc (PLAB) Q2 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Market Challenges with ...
Revenue: $211 million, flat sequentially, down 3% year over year. IC Revenue: $156 million, declined 3% year over year. High-End Revenue: Increased 2% year over year, representing 30% of IC revenue. Mainstream IC Revenue: Declined 6% year over year. FPD Revenue: $55 million, declined 2% year over year. Gross Margin: 37%, in line with quarterly average over the past three years. Operating Margin: 26%, improved 180 basis points sequentially. Non-GAAP Diluted EPS: $0.40. GAAP Diluted EPS: $0.15 per share. Operating Cash Flow: $31 million, representing 15% of total revenue. CapEx: $61 million in the quarter, with a plan to spend $200 million in fiscal 2025. Total Cash and Short-Term Investments: $558 million at the end of the quarter. Share Repurchase: $72 million spent to repurchase 3.6 million shares. Q3 Revenue Guidance: $200 million to $208 million. Q3 Non-GAAP EPS Guidance: $0.35 to $0.41 per diluted share. Q3 Operating Margin Guidance: 20% to 22%. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with BMO. Release Date: May 28, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Photronics Inc (NASDAQ:PLAB) achieved second-quarter sales of $211 million, which was in the middle of their guidance range. The company repurchased 3.6 million shares for $72 million, which is expected to drive greater earnings leverage in the future. Photronics Inc (NASDAQ:PLAB) is well-positioned to benefit from the market transition towards higher-end nodes, particularly in Asia. The company operates 11 cleanroom production facilities globally, allowing for rapid response and collaboration with customers. Photronics Inc (NASDAQ:PLAB) reported a gross margin of 37%, which is in line with their quarterly average over the past three years and above historical levels. Second-quarter revenue was essentially flat sequentially and down 3% year over year. Mainstream IC revenue declined 6% year over year, with significant weakness in photomasks serving older generation design nodes. Revenue from memory applications declined sequentially due to the timing of projects. US revenue declined sequentially due to lower-end design node weakness and the timing of customer advanced node projects. The company remains cautious about the near-term demand environment due to market conditions and tariff uncertainty. Q: Can you provide more color on the mainstream business and its impact on margins and capital spending plans? A: Frank Lee, CEO, explained that the mainstream market remains weak due to low wafer fab utilization, particularly in power, industrial, and consumer sectors. The focus is on building capacity in high-end and high-end mainstream segments. Christopher Progler, CTO, added that while there is some capacity increase due to end-of-life tool replacements, the supply-demand balance is not overly unfavorable. The weakness is broad-based, not confined to Asia, and recovery is expected later in 2026. Q: Are you seeing more weakness in Asia, and how does this affect your capital spending in the US? A: Christopher Progler, CTO, noted that the weakness in mainstream is broad-based, not just in Asia. The US projects focus on node migration to higher-end mainstream applications, which is a growing market segment. This strategic investment aligns with the regionalization of high-end chip makers. Q: What is the largest impact on earnings year-over-year, given similar revenue levels? A: Eric Rivera, CFO, mentioned that while there is pricing pressure, the focus is on product mix and higher-end mainstream node migration. Frank Lee, CEO, added that long-term agreements with main customers provide stable pricing and order guarantees. Q: What are your priorities regarding US capacity expansion versus growth in Asia? A: George Macricostas, Executive Chairman, stated that opportunities in the US, driven by reshoring and geopolitical issues, will be evaluated for capital deployment. The focus is on expanding US capacity and investing in high-end capabilities while balancing regional growth. Q: How do you prioritize share repurchases given weaker earnings, and will you expand the buyback program? A: Eric Rivera, CFO, explained that $23 million remains under the existing authorization, and they will be opportunistic with it. Share repurchases are part of the capital allocation strategy, balanced against other investment opportunities for long-term growth. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PLAB Q1 Earnings Call: Revenue Miss and CEO Transition Amid Industry Uncertainty
Semiconductor photomask manufacturer Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, with sales falling 2.8% year on year to $211 million. Its non-GAAP EPS of $0.40 per share was 16.7% below analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy PLAB? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $211 million (2.8% year-on-year decline) Adjusted EPS: $0.40 vs analyst expectations of $0.48 (16.7% miss) Revenue Guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $204 million at the midpoint, below analyst estimates of $220 million Adjusted EPS guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $0.38 at the midpoint Operating Margin: 26.4%, in line with the same quarter last year Inventory Days Outstanding: 42, up from 38 in the previous quarter Market Capitalization: $1.28 billion Photronics' first quarter results were shaped by continued softness in demand for mainstream photomasks and the impact of customer wafer fab utilization, particularly in segments tied to power, industrial, and consumer applications. Management attributed the performance to a combination of muted demand in older-generation nodes and a shift in product mix, emphasizing the need to focus on higher-end photomask offerings. CEO Frank Lee noted, 'The mainstream market still remains weak, mainly because a lot of our age fab customers still have very low wafer fab utilization.' The quarter also saw stability in gross margins, supported by long-term agreements with major customers that provided pricing stability despite broader market headwinds. Looking ahead, management emphasized caution due to ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, especially related to tariffs and subdued demand visibility. Outgoing CEO Frank Lee and newly appointed CEO George Makrokostas highlighted that near-term growth will be challenged by customer hesitancy and the timing of advanced node projects, with the outlook for recovery pushed further into next year. CFO Eric Rivera said, 'We are seeing customers feeling the uncertainty that's reflected in the market... the current tariff environment is creating that uncertainty.' The company's capital allocation will remain balanced between capacity investments and share repurchases, with an ongoing focus on expanding high-end capabilities and responding to regional shifts in semiconductor manufacturing. Management pointed to weak mainstream demand, ongoing node migration, and a major leadership transition as key themes influencing the quarter and near-term outlook. Mainstream segment softness: Demand for photomasks in legacy nodes declined as wafer fab customers operated at low utilization rates, particularly in power and industrial end markets. Management described this as a broad-based trend rather than one isolated to Asia or new market entrants. High-end node migration: The company continued to see customer designs move toward higher-end nodes, which require more complex and higher-value photomasks. This trend was especially evident in the United States and Asia, where capacity expansion is being targeted. Leadership transition: Frank Lee announced his retirement as CEO after three years, with Chairman George Makrokostas stepping into the role. Makrokostas emphasized continuity and a dual focus on operational discipline and market share growth. Capital allocation priorities: Photronics repurchased $72 million in shares during the quarter, demonstrating a commitment to shareholder returns while also investing in capacity and technology upgrades, particularly in the U.S. to support reshoring initiatives. Tariff and macroeconomic impacts: The ongoing tariff environment and global macro uncertainty were cited as reasons for cautious near-term guidance, with management noting the company's diversified manufacturing footprint as a tool to mitigate supply chain and cost risks. Management's outlook centers on cautious demand expectations, with future performance driven by advanced node adoption, regional manufacturing shifts, and ongoing supply-demand imbalances. Demand uncertainty persists: Management flagged continued hesitancy among customers due to tariffs and macroeconomic uncertainty, resulting in reduced visibility and shorter order backlogs. This environment is expected to weigh on revenue until industry conditions stabilize. Strategic capacity investments: The company is prioritizing capital expenditures for high-end node capabilities in the U.S. and Asia, aiming to capture growth tied to advanced semiconductor applications, including those supporting AI ecosystems. This focus reflects a shift away from legacy nodes toward higher-value segments. Market share and cost discipline: Newly appointed CEO George Makrokostas stated his intention to balance cost containment with efforts to grow market share, especially given the finite size of the photomask market and the need to respond to competitive and regional shifts in the industry. In the upcoming quarters, our analysts will monitor (1) the pace and impact of high-end node adoption across regional markets, (2) progress on U.S. capacity expansions and the effectiveness of these investments in capturing reshoring-related demand, and (3) stabilization or recovery in mainstream mask utilization rates. Developments in tariff negotiations and broader semiconductor industry demand will also be important signals for Photronics' outlook. Photronics currently trades at a forward P/E ratio of 9.7×. Is the company at an inflection point that warrants a buy or sell? See for yourself in our full research report (it's free). The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
