Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) COO Hsueh-Chun Wang Sells 11,875 Shares

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) COO Hsueh-Chun Wang sold 11,875 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.25, for a total value of $525,468.75. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 132,810 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,876,842.50. The trade was a 8.21% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Hsueh-Chun Wang also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, April 8th, Hsueh-Chun Wang sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.69, for a total transaction of $426,900.00.
• On Wednesday, April 1st, Hsueh-Chun Wang sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.08, for a total transaction of $420,800.00.

Photronics Price Performance

Shares of PLAB opened at $45.67 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.43 and a beta of 1.43. Photronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $16.59 and a 1-year high of $45.92. The company has a 50-day moving average of $38.07 and a 200 day moving average of $31.48.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last issued its 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. The business had revenue of $225.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $220.09 million. Photronics had a net margin of 15.83% and a return on equity of 7.88%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have weighed in on PLAB. Wall Street Zen raised Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Craig Hallum reissued a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Lake Street Capital assumed coverage on Photronics in a research note on Friday, March 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $46.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.33.

Photronics News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and constructive guidance — Photronics reported $0.61 EPS vs. $0.54 expected and revenue above estimates, with Q2 guidance of $0.490–$0.550 per share; steady margins and y/y revenue growth underpin the fundamental case. Photronics MarketBeat summary
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation note: industry write‑ups highlight PLAB as one of a few U.S. semiconductor names trading under 20x earnings, making it look relatively cheap versus peers if AI demand sustains. 3 AI Semiconductor Stocks That Are Now Trading Below 20X Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market discussion and debate continue after recent insider moves; some outlets frame the activity as a rotation or liquidity event rather than a signal of deteriorating fundamentals. Photronics Insider Move Sparks Fresh Debate
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares (≈$1.83M) on April 9, reducing his stake by ~23% — a sizeable insider sale that can concern investors even if disclosed as routine. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: COO Hsueh‑Chun Wang sold 11,875 shares (≈$525K) on April 9, an 8.2% reduction in ownership; another insider sale adding to pressure. COO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: CEO and a director have also disclosed recent sales (CEO sale reported at roughly $5.2M; director Kang Jyh Lee sold shares), increasing the headline risk from insider liquidity. Insider Selling: CEO Sells Kang Jyh Lee Sells

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. LSV Asset Management boosted its holdings in Photronics by 14.7% in the fourth quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 2,883,463 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $92,271,000 after acquiring an additional 370,489 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Photronics by 4.6% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,412,245 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $55,361,000 after acquiring an additional 106,069 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Photronics by 699.0% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,305,610 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $52,914,000 after acquiring an additional 2,017,052 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Photronics by 395.9% in the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,536,374 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $49,164,000 after purchasing an additional 1,226,588 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Photronics by 3.4% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,023,766 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $32,761,000 after purchasing an additional 33,573 shares in the last quarter. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.