Constantine Macricostas Sells 50,000 Shares of Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB) Stock

Key Points

• Director Constantine Macricostas sold 50,000 shares at an average price of $45.35 on April 14 for about $2.27 million, and his sale adds to a cluster of insider disposals (including the CFO and COO) that increases headline risk for the stock.
• Photronics beat Q4 expectations and issued constructive guidance, reporting $0.61 EPS vs. $0.54 expected with $225.07M in revenue and a Q2 FY26 EPS guide of $0.490–$0.550; the stock trades near $45.71 with a consensus analyst rating of "Moderate Buy" and a $46.33 target.

Photronics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) Director Constantine Macricostas sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.35, for a total value of $2,267,500.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Photronics Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of NASDAQ PLAB traded up $0.04 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $45.71. The company had a trading volume of 726,264 shares, compared to its average volume of 931,822. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.45 and a beta of 1.43. Photronics, Inc. has a 1-year low of $16.59 and a 1-year high of $46.49. The firm's 50 day moving average is $38.29 and its 200-day moving average is $31.64.

Photronics (NASDAQ:PLAB - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 company had revenue of $225.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $220.09 million. Photronics had a return on equity of 7.88% and a net margin of 15.83%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.52 EPS. Photronics has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.490-0.550 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Photronics, Inc. will post 2.3 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Photronics

Here are the key news stories impacting Photronics this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and constructive guide: Photronics reported $0.61 EPS vs. $0.54 expected and revenue above estimates, and set Q2 FY26 guidance of $0.490–$0.550 — this supports near‑term earnings momentum. Photronics MarketBeat summary
• Positive Sentiment: Relative valuation appeal: Coverage notes PLAB trading below 20x earnings versus many peers, making the stock look reasonably valued if AI and semiconductor demand holds. 3 AI Semiconductor Stocks That Are Now Trading Below 20X Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Market discussion is split: some outlets frame recent insider trades as routine liquidity or portfolio rebalancing rather than a signal of deteriorating fundamentals — this keeps sentiment mixed. Photronics Insider Move Sparks Fresh Debate
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider sales: CFO Eric Rivera sold 41,517 shares (~$1.83M) on April 9, cutting his stake by ~23% — a sizable sale that can create headline pressure. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Additional insider selling: COO Hsueh‑Chun Wang sold 11,875 shares (~$525K) and has made multiple recent disposals, reducing ownership ~8%. COO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: More insider liquidity: Director Constantine S. Macricostas sold 50,000 shares (~$2.27M) and press reports flag CEO and other director sales — the cluster of executive/director sales increases headline risk for the stock. Director Form 4 CEO Sale Report

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PLAB has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Lake Street Capital initiated coverage on Photronics in a report on Friday, March 20th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $46.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen raised Photronics from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Photronics in a report on Friday, March 27th. Craig Hallum reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price target on shares of Photronics in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Photronics from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $46.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Photronics

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Photronics by 30.1% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 219,290 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $4,553,000 after buying an additional 50,707 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Photronics by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 36,647 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $761,000 after buying an additional 1,600 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Photronics by 14.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 96,752 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $2,009,000 after buying an additional 12,159 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC increased its position in Photronics by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 62,441 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $1,296,000 after buying an additional 3,526 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Photronics by 21.5% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 273,646 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $5,153,000 after buying an additional 48,342 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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