Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Issues Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) updated its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.560-0.640 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.480. The company issued revenue guidance of $145.0 million-$153.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $145.9 million.

Proto Labs Stock Down 0.8%

PRLB opened at $74.51 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $77.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $66.70. The company has a market capitalization of $1.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 59.61 and a beta of 1.38. Proto Labs has a 52 week low of $40.84 and a 52 week high of $83.15.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.07. Proto Labs had a return on equity of 4.15% and a net margin of 4.71%.The business had revenue of $149.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $144.53 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.41 EPS. Proto Labs’s revenue was up 10.5% on a year-over-year basis. Proto Labs has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.640 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Proto Labs will post 1.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Benchmark lifted their price objective on Proto Labs from $70.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, July 2nd. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Proto Labs from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Proto Labs from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered shares of Proto Labs from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, July 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $91.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at Proto Labs

In other news, Director Sven Wehrwein sold 2,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total value of $154,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 32,505 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,511,986.40. The trade was a 5.80% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Michael R. Kenison sold 16,030 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.49, for a total value of $1,113,924.70. Following the sale, the insider owned 18,683 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,298,281.67. This trade represents a 46.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 25,663 shares of company stock worth $1,804,727 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Proto Labs

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations. Proto Labs reported earnings of $0.60 per share, ahead of the $0.54 consensus estimate and up from $0.41 a year earlier. Revenue reached a record $149.3 million, exceeding expectations of $144.5 million and increasing approximately 10.5% year over year. Proto Labs Q2 Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Operating momentum remained healthy. Total revenue per customer contact rose 16.7% year over year, while CNC machining revenue increased 13.6%, supporting the company’s growth profile. Protolabs Reports Financial Results for the Second Quarter of 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Q3 EPS guidance was notably above expectations. Management forecast earnings of $0.56 to $0.64 per share, compared with the $0.48 analyst consensus, implying continued earnings strength.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue guidance was broadly in line. The Q3 revenue outlook of $145 million to $153 million has a midpoint slightly above the $145.9 million consensus, but does not signal a major upside surprise on sales.
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation may be limiting the reaction. Proto Labs trades at roughly 70 times earnings, leaving the stock vulnerable to profit-taking when forward revenue growth is moderate, even after the quarterly beat. The company’s net margin was 4.71%, which also underscores the importance of sustained margin improvement.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Proto Labs

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PRLB. Disciplined Growth Investors Inc. MN boosted its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Disciplined Growth Investors Inc. MN now owns 2,722,011 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $108,989,000 after buying an additional 51,293 shares in the last quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP grew its position in shares of Proto Labs by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 1,123,338 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $56,201,000 after buying an additional 89,167 shares during the last quarter. American Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Proto Labs by 126.0% during the 4th quarter. American Capital Management Inc. now owns 631,311 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $31,938,000 after acquiring an additional 352,015 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of Proto Labs by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 460,618 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $23,045,000 after acquiring an additional 13,488 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Proto Labs by 9.5% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 363,013 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $18,365,000 after acquiring an additional 31,585 shares during the last quarter. 84.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.