Insider Selling: Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Director Sells 8,750 Shares of Stock

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 8,750 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.54, for a total value of $293,475.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 475,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,960,009. This trade represents a 1.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

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

• On Monday, December 22nd, Kang Jyh Lee sold 8,750 shares of Photronics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $34.31, for a total value of $300,212.50.
• On Friday, December 12th, Kang Jyh Lee sold 20,000 shares of Photronics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.53, for a total transaction of $770,600.00.
• On Monday, December 15th, Kang Jyh Lee sold 20,000 shares of Photronics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.45, for a total transaction of $729,000.00.

Photronics Trading Up 5.5%

PLAB stock traded up $1.82 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $35.20. 2,047,362 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,093,082. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $23.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.08 billion, a PE ratio of 15.37 and a beta of 1.52. Photronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $16.46 and a 1-year high of $39.80.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, December 10th. The semiconductor company reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.13. The company had revenue of $215.77 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $204.54 million. Photronics had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 7.87%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.59 earnings per share. Photronics’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.510-0.590 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Photronics

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Photronics by 21.9% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Photronics during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,649,000. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of Photronics during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,006,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Photronics during the 3rd quarter worth $2,042,000. Finally, Wexford Capital LP acquired a new stake in Photronics in the 3rd quarter valued at $62,000. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the company. DA Davidson upped their price objective on Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Photronics from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, September 13th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Photronics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. Finally, Craig Hallum increased their price target on Photronics from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.50.

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.