George Macricostas Sells 121,194 Shares of Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Stock
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyPhotronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB – Get Free Report) CEO George Macricostas sold 121,194 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.94, for a total transaction of $5,204,070.36. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 334,068 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,344,879.92. This represents a 26.62% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.
Photronics Price Performance
NASDAQ:PLAB traded up $0.42 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $44.90. 1,014,435 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 882,640. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.11 and a beta of 1.43. Photronics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $16.59 and a 52-week high of $45.92. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $37.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.24.
Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $225.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.52 EPS. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current year.
Key Photronics News
Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q1 results and guidance: Photronics reported quarter results that beat EPS and revenue expectations and provided Q2 EPS guidance (0.49–0.55), supporting growth expectations and valuation re‑ratings. Lam Research and Photronics Stocks Trade Up, What You Need To Know
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst/consensus upgrades: Brokers have been lifting targets and keeping Buy ratings; MarketBeat/American Banking News notes a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target near the mid‑$40s, providing further support for the stock. Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages
- Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership (≈88%) — a stability factor that can reduce volatility from retail flows but also means moves can be amplified when institutions reposition.
- Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest report appears anomalous (shows 0 shares / NaN change and 0 days to cover) and should be treated as unreliable data rather than a market driver.
- Negative Sentiment: Insiders selling: Multiple officers/directors sold shares in early April (COO Hsueh‑Chun Wang sold 10,000 at ~$42.69, director Kang Jyh Lee sold 5,000 at ~$43.27 and CAO Rui Zhang sold 1,752 at ~$43.50). These are sizable dollar amounts and may be seen as profit‑taking or diversification, which can temper sentiment despite strong fundamentals. Insider Move at Photronics Sparks Fresh Investor Buzz
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Zacks Research cut shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and set a $48.00 price objective on shares of Photronics in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $46.33.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on PLAB
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Photronics
Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. AlphaQuest LLC raised its position in Photronics by 323.1% during the third quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 50,036 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,148,000 after acquiring an additional 38,209 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC raised its position in Photronics by 201.3% during the third quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 62,556 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,436,000 after acquiring an additional 41,791 shares during the period. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Photronics during the third quarter worth $864,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in Photronics by 699.0% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,305,610 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $52,914,000 after acquiring an additional 2,017,052 shares during the period. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Photronics by 4.6% during the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,412,245 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $55,361,000 after acquiring an additional 106,069 shares during the period. 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.