Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Sets New 1-Year High Following Strong Earnings

Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The company traded as high as $59.00 and last traded at $62.0250, with a volume of 40990 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $52.48.

The industrial products company reported $0.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $136.49 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $129.07 million. Proto Labs had a return on equity of 2.23% and a net margin of 2.86%.The business’s revenue was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.38 earnings per share. Proto Labs has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.360-0.440 EPS.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on PRLB. Zacks Research lowered shares of Proto Labs from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Benchmark raised their target price on shares of Proto Labs from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Proto Labs in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $53.33.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Michael R. Kenison sold 3,048 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.17, for a total transaction of $152,918.16. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 28,898 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,449,812.66. This represents a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Proto Labs

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Proto Labs by 51.3% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,510 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $228,000 after purchasing an additional 2,207 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Proto Labs by 3.3% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 63,871 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,238,000 after acquiring an additional 2,040 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Proto Labs by 7,380.0% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in Proto Labs by 4.1% during the second quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 14,137 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $565,000 after buying an additional 556 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC purchased a new position in Proto Labs during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $472,000. Institutional investors own 84.54% of the company’s stock.

Proto Labs Price Performance

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $52.76 and its 200 day simple moving average is $50.17. The firm has a market cap of $1.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 99.66 and a beta of 1.24.

Proto Labs Company Profile

Proto Labs, Inc is a digital manufacturing company that offers on-demand production services for custom parts and prototypes. Utilizing technologies such as 3D printing (additive manufacturing), CNC machining and injection molding, the company transforms digital CAD designs into functional parts on accelerated timelines. Its platform-driven process combines automated quoting, rapid tool generation and manufacturing execution to serve product developers, engineers and small- to medium-sized production runs.

Founded in 1999 by Larry Lukis, Proto Labs has championed the application of digital workflows to traditional manufacturing methods.