North Star Investment Management Corp. Invests $1.21 Million in Photronics, Inc. $PLAB

North Star Investment Management Corp. acquired a new stake in Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 30,000 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,212,000. North Star Investment Management Corp. owned 0.05% of Photronics as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of PLAB. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Photronics in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Photronics during the third quarter worth $28,000. Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Photronics by 569.8% during the fourth 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 raised its holdings in shares of Photronics by 723.8% during the fourth 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, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Photronics by 243.8% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,499 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,063 shares in the last quarter. 88.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Photronics Stock Performance

NASDAQ:PLAB opened at $31.28 on Tuesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $41.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.60. The company has a market cap of $1.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.42 and a beta of 1.37. Photronics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $18.61 and a 52-week high of $56.00.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 28th. The semiconductor company reported $0.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.53 by ($0.11). Photronics had a return on equity of 7.69% and a net margin of 18.47%.The company had revenue of $209.94 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $216.47 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.40 EPS. The business’s revenue was down .5% on a year-over-year basis. Photronics has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.390-0.450 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PLAB has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Photronics from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Zacks Research lowered Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Lake Street Capital reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $55.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $49.33.

Insider Activity at Photronics

In related news, COO Hsueh-Chun Wang sold 19,250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.30, for a total transaction of $872,025.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 113,560 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,144,268. The trade was a 14.49% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Eric Rivera sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.77, for a total transaction of $44,770.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 136,173 shares in the company, valued at $6,096,465.21. This trade represents a 0.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 326,144 shares of company stock worth $14,313,759. Insiders own 3.30% of the company’s stock.

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.