Insider Selling: Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) CFO Sells $44,770.00 in Stock
by Scott Moore · The Cerbat GemPhotronics, 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 in the company, valued at $6,096,465.21. This trade represents a 0.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.
Eric Rivera also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Thursday, April 9th, Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares of Photronics stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total value of $1,826,748.00.
Photronics Stock Performance
Shares of Photronics stock opened at $48.38 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $2.85 billion, a PE ratio of 20.59 and a beta of 1.43. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $38.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $32.01. Photronics, Inc. has a 52-week low of $16.59 and a 52-week high of $48.55.
Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $225.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $220.09 million. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 15.83%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.52 EPS. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current year.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AlphaQuest LLC increased its position in shares of Photronics by 323.1% during the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 50,036 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $1,148,000 after purchasing an additional 38,209 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Investing LLC lifted its stake in Photronics by 201.3% in the 3rd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 62,556 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,436,000 after purchasing an additional 41,791 shares during the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Photronics in the 3rd quarter valued at about $864,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Photronics by 699.0% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,305,610 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $52,914,000 after purchasing an additional 2,017,052 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Photronics by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 2,412,245 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $55,361,000 after purchasing an additional 106,069 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.38% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. Zacks Research upgraded Photronics from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Lake Street Capital assumed coverage on Photronics in a research note on Friday, March 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $46.00 target price on the stock. 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 issued a $48.00 target price on shares of Photronics in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Photronics has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $46.33.
Get Our Latest Stock Report on PLAB
Key Headlines Impacting Photronics
Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q4 results and guidance — Photronics reported $0.61 EPS vs. $0.54 expected and revenue above consensus, and management set Q2 FY26 guidance of $0.49–$0.55, which improves near‑term earnings visibility and supports the rally. MarketBeat Q4 and guidance
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and valuation narrative — Zacks upgraded PLAB to a stronger rank (strong‑buy) and other brokers have issued buy/strong‑buy notes; the stock is being viewed as attractively valued (below ~20x earnings vs. some peers), drawing buy interest. Zacks coverage
- Positive Sentiment: Momentum / screen recognition — Inclusion on Zacks’ value/strong‑buy screens and recent upward revision to consensus targets can attract momentum and institutional flows. Zacks list
- Neutral Sentiment: High institutional ownership — Roughly ~88% of the float is held by institutions; this can amplify moves when funds rebalance but also means price action is often driven by fundamentals and institutional flows rather than retail trading. Institutional holdings
- Negative Sentiment: Clustered insider selling — Multiple insiders have sold sizable blocks in mid‑April: COO Hsueh‑Chun Wang (19,250 shares at ~$45.30), Director Kang Jyh Lee (10,000 shares at ~$45.10), CFO Eric Rivera (small recent sale plus a ~41k sale earlier), and other directors/executives. These concentrated disposals are prompting short‑term selling pressure and media scrutiny. InsiderTrades alert COO Form 4 Director Form 4
- Negative Sentiment: Media/analyst focus on cash‑outs — Coverage calling out the insider cash‑outs increases volatility and could deter some investors until insiders’ reasons (liquidity, diversification) are clarified. TipRanks discussion
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.