Photronics Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NASDAQ:PLAB)

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) saw some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Investors bought 5,920 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 194% compared to the typical volume of 2,016 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PLAB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Craig Hallum boosted their target price on shares of Photronics from $36.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Photronics in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.50.

Photronics Trading Up 11.8%

Shares of NASDAQ PLAB traded up $4.47 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $42.46. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,677,839 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,188,069. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.62 and a beta of 1.52. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $35.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.66. Photronics has a one year low of $16.46 and a one year high of $45.40.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The semiconductor company reported $0.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.07. Photronics had a net margin of 16.06% and a return on equity of 7.87%. The business had revenue of $225.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.09 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.52 EPS. Photronics’s revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Photronics will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Photronics news, Director Kang Jyh Lee sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $34.13, for a total transaction of $341,300.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 410,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,022,310.50. This trade represents a 2.38% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Mitchell G. Tyson sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.21, for a total value of $176,050.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 43,199 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,521,036.79. The trade was a 10.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 181,250 shares of company stock worth $6,317,150. Company insiders own 3.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Photronics

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PLAB. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Photronics during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Photronics in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Quarry LP grew its stake in Photronics by 569.8% during the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,151 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 1,245 shares during the period. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its holdings in Photronics by 673.4% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,293 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

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.