Key Points
- CFO Eric Rivera sold shares: Rivera sold 1,000 shares on Apr. 13 at $44.77 (and previously sold 41,517 shares on Apr. 9 at $44), bringing his holdings to 136,173 shares and generating roughly $1.87M in proceeds from these transactions.
- Cluster of insider sales creates headline risk: Multiple executives and directors (including the COO and several board members) also sold stock in mid‑April, raising potential short‑term selling pressure and market debate about motives.
- Company performance and analyst view: Photronics beat Q4 estimates (EPS $0.61 vs. $0.54; revenue $225.07M), issued Q2 FY26 guidance of $0.490–$0.550, and carries a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $46.33 price target.
Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) CFO Eric Rivera sold 1,000 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.77, for a total value of $44,770.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 136,173 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,096,465.21. This trade represents a 0.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.
Eric Rivera also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Thursday, April 9th, Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares of Photronics stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total value of $1,826,748.00.
Photronics Stock Up 0.3%
Shares of NASDAQ PLAB opened at $45.86 on Thursday. Photronics, Inc. has a twelve month low of $16.59 and a twelve month high of $46.49. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $38.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.74. The company has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a PE ratio of 19.51 and a beta of 1.43.
Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $225.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $220.09 million. Photronics had a net margin of 15.83% and a return on equity of 7.88%. Photronics's revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.52 EPS. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research firms recently commented on PLAB. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Photronics from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Zacks Research cut shares of Photronics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, March 20th. They set a "buy" rating and a $46.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Craig Hallum reissued a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 target price on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One 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's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $46.33.
View Our Latest Research Report on Photronics
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. AlphaQuest LLC raised its holdings in Photronics by 323.1% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 50,036 shares of the semiconductor company's stock valued at $1,148,000 after acquiring an additional 38,209 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Photronics by 201.3% in the third quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 62,556 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,436,000 after purchasing an additional 41,791 shares during the period. Belpointe Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Photronics in the third quarter worth $864,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Photronics by 699.0% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,305,610 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $52,914,000 after purchasing an additional 2,017,052 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Photronics by 4.6% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,412,245 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $55,361,000 after purchasing an additional 106,069 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 88.38% of the company's stock.
Trending Headlines about Photronics
Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and constructive guidance: Photronics reported $0.61 EPS vs. $0.54 expected and revenue above consensus; management set Q2 FY26 guidance of $0.490–$0.550, supporting near‑term earnings visibility. MarketBeat Q4 and guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Favorable analyst coverage and valuation narrative: recent buy/strong‑buy notes (Lake Street, Craig Hallum, WallStreetZen) and commentary highlighting PLAB trading below ~20x earnings vs. peers support the argument that the stock looks relatively inexpensive if semiconductor/AI demand holds. Valuation write‑up
- Positive Sentiment: Momentum recognition: PLAB made Zacks’ value “#1 (Strong Buy)” list, which can attract momentum/value buyers. Zacks list
- Neutral Sentiment: Market debate over insider activity: some outlets frame recent insider sales as routine liquidity or portfolio rebalancing rather than a signal of weakening fundamentals, leaving sentiment mixed. TipRanks discussion
- Negative Sentiment: Significant cluster of insider sales: multiple executives and directors have sold stock in mid‑April — CFO Eric Rivera (~41,517 shares on Apr 9 and additional sales), COO Hsueh‑Chun Wang (11,875 + earlier sales), Director Constantine Macricostas (50,000 shares), Director Kang Jyh Lee (5,000) and reported CEO sales — creating headline risk and potential short‑term selling pressure. Relevant filings and reports are linked. CFO Form 4 Director Form 4 Press summary
Photronics Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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