Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Reaches New 52-Week High – Here’s What Happened

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $45.92 and last traded at $45.2020, with a volume of 225824 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $44.48.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on PLAB. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Photronics from $30.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Lake Street Capital began coverage on shares of Photronics in a research report on Friday, March 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $46.00 price target on the stock. Craig Hallum restated a “buy” rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Photronics from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Photronics from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, March 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned 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.

Photronics Stock Performance

The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $37.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $31.10. The company has a market cap of $2.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.27 and a beta of 1.43.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $225.07 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $220.09 million. Photronics had a net margin of 15.83% and a return on equity of 7.88%. Photronics’s revenue for the quarter 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, analysts forecast that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Photronics

In other news, Director Mitchell G. Tyson sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.31, for a total value of $423,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 33,199 shares in the company, valued at $1,404,649.69. The trade was a 23.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, COO Hsueh-Chun Wang sold 10,000 shares of Photronics stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.08, for a total transaction of $420,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer owned 154,685 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,509,144.80. This represents a 6.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 78,750 shares of company stock worth $2,937,163. 3.30% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Photronics

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PLAB. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Photronics during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Larson Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Photronics during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Photronics by 673.4% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,485 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 1,293 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP increased its stake in Photronics by 569.8% during the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,353 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its stake in Photronics by 723.8% during the 4th quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,417 shares of the semiconductor company’s stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 1,245 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.38% of the company’s stock.

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.