Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Call Options on Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB)

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 14,832 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,329% compared to the average daily volume of 1,038 call options.

Photronics Stock Performance

Shares of PLAB stock opened at $37.35 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $2.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.22 and a beta of 1.54. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $23.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $21.55. Photronics has a one year low of $16.46 and a one year high of $38.15.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, December 10th. The semiconductor company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.13. Photronics had a return on equity of 8.19% and a net margin of 12.67%.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 firm earned $0.59 EPS. Photronics’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. As a group, research analysts predict that Photronics will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Photronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 13th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Finally, Singular Research upgraded shares of Photronics to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $31.00.

Insider Activity at Photronics

In related news, EVP Christopher J. Progler sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.52, for a total value of $225,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 190,591 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,292,109.32. This represents a 4.99% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Mitchell G. Tyson sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.04, for a total transaction of $125,200.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 51,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,300,252.08. The trade was a 8.78% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 67,750 shares of company stock valued at $1,629,700 in the last quarter. 3.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Photronics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Photronics during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in Photronics by 673.4% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,293 shares during the last quarter. Byrne Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Photronics in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. Wexford Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Photronics in the 3rd quarter valued at $62,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Photronics by 336.4% during the 2nd 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. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Photronics Company Profile

Photronics, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of photomask products and services in the United States, Taiwan, China, Korea, Europe, and internationally. It offers photomasks that are used in the manufacture of integrated circuits and flat panel displays (FPDs); and to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor wafers, and FDP substrates.