Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management Acquires Shares of 23,408 Photronics, Inc. $PLAB

Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 23,408 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $749,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Larson Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Photronics in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,293 shares during the last quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in Photronics during the 4th quarter worth approximately $55,000. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in shares of Photronics in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Photronics by 336.4% in the 2nd quarter. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 3,600 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $68,000 after purchasing an additional 2,775 shares in the last quarter. 88.38% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Photronics Stock Performance

Shares of PLAB opened at $40.85 on Friday. Photronics, Inc. has a 52 week low of $16.46 and a 52 week high of $45.40. The firm has a market cap of $2.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.38 and a beta of 1.43. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $37.14 and a 200-day moving average of $30.65.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Photronics

In other news, Director Mitchell G. Tyson sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.31, for a total value of $423,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 33,199 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,404,649.69. This trade represents a 23.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.00, for a total transaction of $390,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 385,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,048,150. This trade represents a 2.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 110,000 shares of company stock valued at $3,992,850 over the last three months. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on PLAB shares. DA Davidson raised 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. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, March 27th. Craig Hallum reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.33.

Photronics Company Profile

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.