Kang Jyh Lee Sells 10,000 Shares of Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Stock

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.10, for a total value of $451,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 375,850 shares in the company, valued at $16,950,835. This trade represents a 2.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Kang Jyh Lee also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, April 13th, Kang Jyh Lee sold 5,000 shares of Photronics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.00, for a total value of $225,000.00.
• On Wednesday, April 8th, Kang Jyh Lee sold 5,000 shares of Photronics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.27, for a total value of $216,350.00.
• On Monday, April 6th, Kang Jyh Lee sold 5,000 shares of Photronics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.53, for a total value of $202,650.00.
• On Monday, March 23rd, Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.00, for a total value of $390,000.00.
• On Thursday, March 19th, Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.80, for a total value of $358,000.00.

Photronics Stock Performance

Shares of PLAB opened at $48.38 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.59 and a beta of 1.43. Photronics, Inc. has a one year low of $16.59 and a one year high of $48.55. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $38.98 and its 200-day moving average is $32.08.

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Photronics during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Photronics during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Quarry LP boosted its position in Photronics by 569.8% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,151 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC boosted its position in Photronics by 723.8% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,417 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 1,245 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in Photronics by 673.4% during 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 period. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 target price on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Lake Street Capital assumed coverage on Photronics in a report on Friday, March 20th. They set a “buy” rating and a $46.00 target price on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Zacks Research raised Photronics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, March 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $46.33.

More Photronics News

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and guidance — Photronics reported $0.61 EPS vs. $0.54 expected and revenue above consensus, and management set Q2 FY26 guidance of $0.49–$0.55, which improves near‑term earnings visibility and supports the rally. MarketBeat Q4 and guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and valuation narrative — Zacks upgraded PLAB to a stronger rank (strong‑buy) and other brokers have issued buy/strong‑buy notes; the stock is being viewed as attractively valued (below ~20x earnings vs. some peers), drawing buy interest. Zacks coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum / screen recognition — Inclusion on Zacks’ value/strong‑buy screens and recent upward revision to consensus targets can attract momentum and institutional flows. Zacks list
• Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership — Roughly ~88% of the float is held by institutions; this can amplify moves when funds rebalance but also means price action is often driven by fundamentals and institutional flows rather than retail trading. Institutional holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Clustered insider selling — Multiple insiders have sold sizable blocks in mid‑April: COO Hsueh‑Chun Wang (19,250 shares at ~$45.30), Director Kang Jyh Lee (10,000 shares at ~$45.10), CFO Eric Rivera (small recent sale plus a ~41k sale earlier), and other directors/executives. These concentrated disposals are prompting short‑term selling pressure and media scrutiny. InsiderTrades alert COO Form 4 Director Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Media/analyst focus on cash‑outs — Coverage calling out the insider cash‑outs increases volatility and could deter some investors until insiders’ reasons (liquidity, diversification) are clarified. TipRanks discussion

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.