Photronics and Xerox have been highlighted as Zacks Bull and Bear of the Day

For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – February 6, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Photronics PLAB as the Bull of the Day and Xerox XRX as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on NVIDIA Corporation NVDA and Super Micro Computer, Inc. SMCI.

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:

Photronics, a current Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), is a global market leader in photomasks (stencils used to print tiny circuits onto semiconductor wafers) for lithographic imaging in semiconductor and flat panel display production.

Analysts have taken a bullish stance on the company's EPS outlook, with the trend notably strong for its Q1 period. The company reports on February 25^th before the open.

Photronics Plays a Critical Role

PLAB shares have been red-hot over the last three months on the back of a strong quarterly print, gaining 50% compared to the S&P 500's roughly 3% gain. The company plays a critical role in the AI frenzy, particularly in the chip-making supply chain.

PLAB's latest release showed record-high-end (advanced chips) revenue, with noted strength in the United States. Importantly, as AI chips become more complex, PLAB's top line is poised to benefit significantly given its critical role in the broader industry.

The company's CapEx has also grown significantly as it looks to expand its operations in the United States and South Korea, which will provide a solid growth runway as we wade deeper into the booming chip industry, fueled by the AI era.

Valuation multiples have expanded over recent months, with the current 15.1X forward 12-month earnings multiple well above the 11.1X five-year median. Though above historical values, it still reflects a solid 33% discount relative to the S&P 500's current 22.6X multiple.

Operating cash flow has also expanded nicely over recent years, helping to fund the above-mentioned CapEx plans geared toward its future growth. CapEx during its latest fiscal year totaled $188.1 million, compared with $131 million in FY24.

Bottom Line

Investors can implement a stellar strategy to find expected winners by taking advantage of the Zacks Rank – one of the most powerful market tools that provides a massive edge.

The top 5% of all stocks receive the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). These stocks should outperform the market more than any other rank.

Photronics would be an excellent stock for investors to consider, as displayed by its Zack Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Bear of the Day:

Xerox is a global leader in office and production print technology and related solutions, with a large and growing presence in Digital and IT Services.

Analysts have taken their earnings expectations for its current fiscal year lower over the last year, with the stock a current Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).

Xerox Struggles

XRX shares have had a tough showing over the past three months, down 11% and widely underperforming relative to the S&P 500. The performance disparity widens significantly across longer timeframes as well, with shares down 80% over the last three years.

A plunge in sales over the past several years has been the main driving force impacting the stock, as shown below. The worldwide shift into the digital era has been a major thorn in the side of the company, helping explain the weak top-line action.

Steep margin pressures have also significantly eaten into profits, with the company struggling to show much earnings growth over recent years. Below is a chart illustrating the company's gross margin on an annual basis.

Bottom Line

Analysts' negative earnings estimate revisions and a big sales plunge over recent years paint a challenging picture for the company's shares.

Xerox is a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that analysts have taken a bearish stance on the company's earnings outlook.

For those seeking strong stocks, a great idea would be to focus on stocks carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). These stocks sport a notably stronger earnings outlook and the potential to deliver explosive gains in the near term.

Additional content:

After NVIDIA, Is SMCI the Smartest AI Stock to Buy Right Now?

NVIDIA Corporation dominates the artificial intelligence (AI) market but carries a high valuation. By contrast, the smaller AI company Super Micro Computer, Inc. delivered strong quarterly results and appears undervalued, though it faces risks. So, is now the right time to invest in SMCI, or should investors adopt a cautious wait-and-watch approach? Let's explore –

SMCI to Ride AI Infrastructure Wave, Stock Looks Undervalued

NVIDIA has been Wall Street's AI darling for quite some time, and for good reason. The company has consistently delivered revenue and earnings growth quarter after quarter, even in the face of stiff competition and geopolitical challenges.

This was possible due to the relentless demand for its chips, particularly the Blackwell series, as well as its cloud-based graphics processing units (GPUs). The ongoing surge in data center spending is creating strong opportunities for NVIDIA to sell its computer hardware.

However, at present, NVIDIA is trading at a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 37.35, well above the Semiconductor - General industry's average of 22.67. This elevated valuation could make NVIDIA stock very volatile if the company fails to meet growth expectations.

On the other hand, Supermicro is trading at a forward P/E of 15.83, well below the Computer- Storage Devices industry's average of 28.9. This makes the stock appear undervalued and potentially attractive to investors.

Lest we forget, in the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, Supermicro's net sales jumped 123% year over year to $12.7 billion, according to ir.supermicro.com. This was primarily due to the company's new Data Center Building Block Solutions (DCBBS) gaining popularity among AI customers as it offers integrated servers, networking, storage, cooling, software and services.

CEO of Supermicro, Charles Liang, further added that DCBBS helps customers to scale efficiently, positioning the company to ride the next AI infrastructure wave. Management remains optimistic about Supermicro's revenue growth, projecting third-quarter fiscal 2026 revenues to reach at least $12.3 billion, and full-year net sales of at least $40 billion.

These outlooks provide strong reasons for stakeholders to stay invested, though new investors should exercise caution, even as the SMCI stock appears undervalued.

Reasons to Reconsider Buying SMCI Stock At This Moment

A major reason to be cautious about Supermicro is the pressure on its gross margin. In the fiscal second quarter of 2026, Supermicro's gross margins fell to 6.3% from 11.8% in the year-ago quarter, indicating a low-margin business that could struggle to generate meaningful profits in the future after accounting for overhead and operating expenses.

Secondly, Supermicro's debt-to-equity ratio stands at 66.9%, well above the industry average of 20.1%, signaling higher financial risk and greater exposure to economic downturns.

Thus, for the time being, Supermicro has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?

Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.

Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.

See Stocks Free >>

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

https://www.zacks.com

Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research