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

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) shares were down 5.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday following insider selling activity. The company traded as low as $41.30 and last traded at $41.0450. Approximately 200,605 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 82% from the average daily 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 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 transaction, the director directly owned 385,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,048,150. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the business’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 sale, the director owned 400,850 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,350,430. This trade represents a 2.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on PLAB shares. Lake Street Capital assumed coverage on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, March 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $46.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Zacks Research cut shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $46.33.

Photronics Trading Down 8.1%

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $36.56 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $29.87. The firm has a market cap of $2.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.92 and a beta of 1.50.

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

Institutional Trading of Photronics

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Photronics by 30.1% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 219,290 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $4,553,000 after purchasing an additional 50,707 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Photronics by 4.6% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 36,647 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $761,000 after purchasing an additional 1,600 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its holdings in Photronics by 14.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 96,752 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $2,009,000 after purchasing an additional 12,159 shares in the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Photronics by 6.0% in the first quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 62,441 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,296,000 after buying an additional 3,526 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Photronics by 1.4% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,888,042 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $35,555,000 after buying an additional 26,507 shares during the period. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.