MFIN vs. PLAB

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

MFIN (Medallion Financial Corp.) and PLAB (Photronics, Inc.) are both stocks. MFIN operates in Credit Services (Financial Services), while PLAB operates in Semiconductor Equipment & Materials (Technology). Over the past 10 years, MFIN returned 4.88%/yr vs 12.78%/yr for PLAB. At a 0.20 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

MFIN vs. PLAB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Medallion Financial Corp. (MFIN) and Photronics, Inc. (PLAB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, MFIN achieves a -4.33% return, which is significantly lower than PLAB's 0.34% return. Over the past 10 years, MFIN has underperformed PLAB with an annualized return of 4.88%, while PLAB has yielded a comparatively higher 12.78% annualized return.

MFIN

• 1D: -2.60%
• 1M: 5.44%
• YTD: -4.33%
• 6M: -3.77%
• 1Y: 7.46%
• 3Y*: 16.52%
• 5Y*: 4.96%
• 10Y*: 4.88%

PLAB

• 1D: -3.11%
• 1M: -35.11%
• YTD: 0.34%
• 6M: 32.47%
• 1Y: 80.29%
• 3Y*: 13.81%
• 5Y*: 19.40%
• 10Y*: 12.78%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

MFIN vs. PLAB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
MFIN Medallion Financial Corp.	-4.33%	15.09%	0.15%	43.96%	28.37%	18.37%	-32.60%	55.01%	32.86%	16.89%
PLAB Photronics, Inc.	0.34%	35.82%	-24.90%	86.39%	-10.72%	68.91%	-29.19%	62.81%	13.55%	-24.56%

Correlation

The correlation between MFIN and PLAB is 0.22, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.22
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.30
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.28
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.24
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 24, 1996	0.20

Fundamentals

Market Cap MFIN : $234.90M PLAB : $1.88B
EPS MFIN : $1.62 PLAB : $2.70
PE Ratio MFIN : 5.91 PLAB : 11.89
PEG Ratio MFIN : 744.02 PLAB : 0.36
PS Ratio MFIN : 0.69 PLAB : 2.20
PB Ratio MFIN : 0.58 PLAB : 1.11
Total Revenue (TTM) MFIN : $336.20M PLAB : $861.17M
Gross Profit (TTM) MFIN : $164.92M PLAB : $290.85M
EBITDA (TTM) MFIN : $89.06M PLAB : $268.43M

Return for Risk

MFIN vs. PLAB — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

MFIN

MFIN Risk / Return Rank: 47
MFIN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
MFIN Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
MFIN Omega Ratio Rank: 42
MFIN Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
MFIN Martin Ratio Rank: 50

PLAB

PLAB Risk / Return Rank: 75
PLAB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
PLAB Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
PLAB Omega Ratio Rank: 78
PLAB Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
PLAB Martin Ratio Rank: 82

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

MFIN vs. PLAB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Medallion Financial Corp. (MFIN) and Photronics, Inc. (PLAB). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	MFIN	PLAB	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.23	1.00	-0.76
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.59	1.78	-1.19
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.29	-0.22
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.30	1.92	-1.62
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.87	7.44	-6.57
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

MFIN vs. PLAB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current MFIN Sharpe Ratio is 0.23, which is lower than the PLAB Sharpe Ratio of 1.00. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of MFIN and PLAB, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	MFIN	PLAB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.23	1.00	-0.76
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.12	0.34	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.08	0.25	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.08	0.11	-0.03

Drawdowns

MFIN vs. PLAB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum MFIN drawdown since its inception was -90.32%, smaller than the maximum PLAB drawdown of -99.22%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MFIN and PLAB.

Drawdown Indicators

	MFIN	PLAB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-90.32%	-99.22%	+8.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.95%	-42.01%	+17.06%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-37.10%	-50.62%	+13.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-41.06%	-50.62%	+9.56%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-83.35%	-50.62%	-32.73%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.35%	-41.58%	+28.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-43.36%	-56.38%	+13.02%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.59%	10.83%	-2.24%

Volatility

MFIN vs. PLAB - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Medallion Financial Corp. (MFIN) is 7.23%, while Photronics, Inc. (PLAB) has a volatility of 48.99%. This indicates that MFIN experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PLAB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	MFIN	PLAB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.23%	48.99%	-41.76%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	21.59%	75.35%	-53.76%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	32.01%	81.18%	-49.17%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	41.30%	57.59%	-16.29%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	59.47%	50.78%	+8.69%

Dividends

MFIN vs. PLAB - Dividend Comparison

MFIN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.22%, while PLAB has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MFIN Medallion Financial Corp.	5.22%	4.57%	4.37%	3.45%	4.48%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	19.87%	14.06%
PLAB Photronics, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

MFIN vs. PLAB - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Medallion Financial Corp. and Photronics, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

MFIN - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Medallion Financial Corp. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 79.07M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

PLAB - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Photronics, Inc. reported a gross profit of 65.76M and revenue of 209.94M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 31.3%.

MFIN - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Medallion Financial Corp. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 79.07M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

PLAB - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Photronics, Inc. reported an operating income of -54.80M and revenue of 209.94M, resulting in an operating margin of -26.1%.

MFIN - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Medallion Financial Corp. reported a net income of 4.95M and revenue of 79.07M, resulting in a net margin of 6.3%.

PLAB - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Photronics, Inc. reported a net income of 31.43M and revenue of 209.94M, resulting in a net margin of 15.0%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both MFIN and PLAB in my portfolio?

MFIN and PLAB have a correlation of 0.22, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, MFIN or PLAB?

PLAB has higher volatility (48.99%) compared to MFIN (7.23%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MFIN dropped -90.32% vs PLAB's -99.22%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PLAB currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.00 vs 0.23), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.