Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Shares Down 7.9% – Here’s Why

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) dropped 7.9% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $30.70 and last traded at $30.2560. Approximately 305,259 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 76% from the average session volume of 1,266,477 shares. The stock had previously closed at $32.85.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Photronics Price Performance

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $42.56 and a 200-day moving average of $38.52. The firm has a market cap of $1.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.13 and a beta of 1.37.

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Photronics

In related news, CAO Rui Zhang sold 4,556 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.70, for a total transaction of $212,765.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 27,079 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,264,589.30. This represents a 14.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Constantine S. Macricostas sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.35, for a total transaction of $2,267,500.00. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 326,144 shares of company stock valued at $14,313,759 over the last three months. 3.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Photronics during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Photronics in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. First Horizon Corp acquired a new position in shares of Photronics during the 1st quarter worth $33,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,151 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,245 shares during the last quarter. 88.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.