Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.09 EPS

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) posted its earnings results on Friday. The industrial products company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.09, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $136.49 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $129.07 million. Proto Labs had a net margin of 2.86% and a return on equity of 2.23%. The firm’s revenue was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.38 EPS. Proto Labs updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 0.360-0.440 EPS.

Here are the key takeaways from Proto Labs’ conference call:

• Protolabs reported a record Q4 revenue of $136.5M (+11% in constant currency) and full?year revenue of $533.1M (+5.7% CC), with revenue per customer up 13% and $74.5M cash from operations; the company finished the year with $142.4M in cash, zero debt, and $43M returned via repurchases.
• Operational strength was concentrated in CNC machining and sheet metal—U.S. CNC grew 25% for the year and 35% in Q4—and Protolabs Network revenue rose ~14%, helping lift factory gross margins.
• Management laid out a focused strategy (four pillars: customer experience, innovation, production expansion, operational efficiency) to expand from prototype to production, including ISO 13485 certification for U.S. injection molding and a long?term goal to reach $1 billion in annual revenue.
• Near?term headwinds include a Europe revenue decline (~7% in 2025; Q4 -8.1%) and a 190 bps drop in Network gross margin to ~31% largely due to tariff inefficiencies, prompting a regional reset and cost realignment in 2026.
• For 2026 management expects a transition year with GAAP revenue growth of 6%–8% and Q1 revenue guidance of $130M–$138M (non?GAAP EPS $0.36–$0.44) while investing and reallocating resources to drive the transformational initiatives.

Proto Labs Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PRLB traded up $14.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $66.83. 399,047 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 163,658. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $52.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $50.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 109.56 and a beta of 1.24. Proto Labs has a 52 week low of $29.58 and a 52 week high of $66.74.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Transactions at Proto Labs

In other Proto Labs news, insider Michael R. Kenison sold 3,048 shares of Proto Labs stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.17, for a total value of $152,918.16. Following the sale, the insider owned 28,898 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,449,812.66. The trade was a 9.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Proto Labs

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dark Forest Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 18.8% in the 3rd quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 46,204 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,312,000 after purchasing an additional 7,304 shares during the period. Prelude Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Proto Labs during the 3rd quarter valued at $264,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV bought a new position in shares of Proto Labs during the 3rd quarter worth $291,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in shares of Proto Labs by 93.9% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 132,361 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,622,000 after acquiring an additional 64,099 shares during the period. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Proto Labs in the 3rd quarter worth about $64,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.54% of the company’s stock.

Key Proto Labs News

Here are the key news stories impacting Proto Labs this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat — Proto Labs reported $0.44 EPS vs. $0.35 expected and revenue of $136.5M vs. $129.1M consensus; revenue was up ~12% year-over-year, supporting the rally. Protolabs Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Raised near-term outlook — management set Q1 2026 EPS guidance of $0.360–$0.440 (above the ~$0.29 consensus) and revenue guidance of $130M–$138M, signaling stronger demand into early 2026. Proto Labs: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: 2026 growth plan — the company outlined a 6%–8% revenue growth target for 2026 and emphasized advancing production capacity and digital initiatives intended to drive scale and mix improvement. Proto Labs outlines 6%-8% revenue growth for 2026 while advancing production and digital initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability rebound — commentary and results point to a turnaround from last year’s losses; management highlighted record revenue and accelerating earnings, echoed by coverage noting a return to profitability and strong Y/Y earnings growth. Why Proto Labs Stock Soared Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Management materials — the earnings call transcript and earnings presentation contain the execution details and cadence for the growth plan; investors should review the slides and call for color on margins and capex timing. Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Q4 Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Market action — trading volume spiked well above average and the stock moved to the top of its 52-week range, indicating strong near-term investor interest but also higher short-term volatility. Proto Labs (PRLB) Market Data
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and margin profile — PRLB trades at a high P/E (~108x) and reported modest net margin and ROE, leaving the stock vulnerable to multiple compression if growth or margin improvement slips. Proto Labs (PRLB) Market Data

About Proto Labs

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.