Short Interest in Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) Decreases By 24.3%

19 Jan 2026, 21:56 by Kim Johansen · The Markets Daily

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB – Get Free Report) saw a large decrease in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 3,223,122 shares, a decrease of 24.3% from the December 15th total of 4,256,118 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,145,933 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days. Currently, 5.6% of the company’s stock are short sold. Currently, 5.6% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,145,933 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.8 days.

Photronics Price Performance

Photronics stock traded up $0.31 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $34.53. The company had a trading volume of 1,120,487 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,035,405. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $28.97 and a 200 day moving average of $24.51. The firm has a market cap of $2.04 billion, a PE ratio of 15.08 and a beta of 1.52. Photronics has a one year low of $16.46 and a one year high of $39.80.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PLAB has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research note on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. 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 lifted 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 equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.50.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Photronics

Insider Buying and Selling at Photronics

In other news, SVP Han Kyung Park sold 13,750 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.99, for a total value of $522,362.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 89,250 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,390,607.50. This represents a 13.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Mary Paladino sold 11,250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.11, for a total transaction of $394,987.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 23,820 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $836,320.20. This represents a 32.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 167,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,846,338. Corporate insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Photronics

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kendall Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Photronics by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Kendall Capital Management now owns 46,385 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $1,484,000 after acquiring an additional 555 shares during the period. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management acquired a new position in Photronics in the fourth quarter valued at about $749,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in Photronics by 26.0% during the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 17,176 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $574,000 after purchasing an additional 3,542 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Photronics by 66.6% during the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 14,296 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $457,000 after buying an additional 5,714 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Central Pacific Bank Trust Division acquired a new stake in Photronics during the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

About Photronics

(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.