Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Stock Price Down 5.1% on Insider Selling

Shares of Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) traded down 5.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $41.30 and last traded at $41.0450. 200,605 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 1,145,648 shares. The stock had previously closed at $43.26.

Specifically, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.00, for a total value of $390,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 385,850 shares in the company, valued at $15,048,150. This represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.80, for a total value of $358,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 400,850 shares in the company, valued at $14,350,430. This trade represents a 2.43% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.33.

Photronics Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $36.45 and a 200-day moving average of $29.80. The stock has a market cap of $2.41 billion, a PE ratio of 17.34 and a beta of 1.50.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.07. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 15.83%.The company had revenue of $225.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $220.09 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Photronics

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PLAB. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Photronics during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Photronics in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of Photronics by 569.8% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,151 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Photronics by 723.8% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,417 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,245 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Photronics by 673.4% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,293 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

Photronics Company Profile

Photronics, Inc is a leading global supplier of photomask products used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, flat panel displays, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and advanced packaging applications. Photomasks, also known as reticles, are critical templates that carry the precise circuit patterns required for semiconductor lithography processes. The company offers a comprehensive range of mask solutions, including binary masks, attenuated phase-shift masks, reticles for micro-optics, and specialized products for high‐resolution applications.

Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Brookfield, Connecticut, Photronics has grown through organic expansion and strategic investments in high‐end lithography technology.