Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) Short Interest Down 24.3% in December

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,223,122 shares, a decrease of 24.3% from the December 15th total of 4,256,118 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,145,933 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days. Approximately 5.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Approximately 5.6% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,145,933 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.8 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Mary Paladino sold 11,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.11, for a total value of $394,987.50. Following the sale, the director directly owned 23,820 shares in the company, valued at approximately $836,320.20. This trade represents a 32.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Mitchell G. Tyson sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.21, for a total transaction of $176,050.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 43,199 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,521,036.79. The trade was a 10.37% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 167,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,846,338. 3.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PLAB. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Photronics in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in Photronics by 673.4% in the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,293 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division bought a new stake in Photronics in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in Photronics by 21.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the period. Finally, Wexford Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Photronics in the third quarter worth about $62,000. Institutional investors own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

Photronics Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:PLAB traded up $0.31 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $34.53. 1,120,487 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,035,405. Photronics has a 12 month low of $16.46 and a 12 month high of $39.80. The company has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a PE ratio of 17.01 and a beta of 1.52. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $28.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $24.51.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.