Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Shares Down 6.1% on Insider Selling

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB)’s share price fell 6.1% on Wednesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $31.10 and last traded at $31.3640. 434,830 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 62% from the average session volume of 1,144,054 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.39.

Specifically, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.05, for a total value of $330,500.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 425,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,074,342.50. This represents a 2.29% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.83, for a total transaction of $348,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 445,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,528,955.50. This trade represents a 2.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently commented on PLAB shares. Craig Hallum raised their target price on shares of Photronics from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Photronics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $43.50.

Photronics Stock Up 0.9%

The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $28.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $24.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.08 and a beta of 1.52.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 10th. The semiconductor company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.13. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.87% and a net margin of 16.06%.The company had revenue of $215.77 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $204.54 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.59 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.510-0.590 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Photronics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Photronics by 673.4% in the 3rd 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 during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in Photronics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Wexford Capital LP bought a new stake in shares of Photronics during the third quarter worth $62,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Photronics by 336.4% during the second quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,600 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 2,775 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

About Photronics

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.