Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 37,791 Shares of Proto Labs, Inc. $PRLB

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. has reduced its stake in Proto Labs, selling 37,791 shares, and now holds 2,825,585 shares (11.89% ownership) valued at approximately $99 million.
• Research firms have recently upgraded Proto Labs' stock ratings, with Craig Hallum setting a target price of $54.00 and the consensus target price at $52.50.
• CEO Suresh Krishna purchased 1,725 shares at an average price of $43.51 per share, marking a significant increase in his ownership of the company's stock.

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its holdings in Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB - Free Report) by 1.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,825,585 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 37,791 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 11.89% of Proto Labs worth $99,008,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 764.1% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 795 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 703 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 249.4% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 926 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 661 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 175.7% in the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,585 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 1,010 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 50.4% in the first quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,840 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $64,000 after buying an additional 617 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Proto Labs by 14.1% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,165 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.54% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Proto Labs

In related news, CEO Suresh Krishna bought 1,725 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $43.51 per share, with a total value of $75,054.75. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 18,021 shares of the company's stock, valued at $784,093.71. This represents a 10.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company's stock.

Proto Labs Price Performance

Shares of PRLB stock traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $50.71. The company had a trading volume of 163,456 shares, compared to its average volume of 204,258. Proto Labs, Inc. has a 52-week low of $26.34 and a 52-week high of $51.09. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $43.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.49. The company has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 84.52 and a beta of 1.33.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.33 by $0.08. Proto Labs had a net margin of 2.91% and a return on equity of 2.22%. The firm had revenue of $135.06 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $128.05 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.38 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Proto Labs has set its Q3 2025 guidance at 0.350-0.430 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Proto Labs, Inc. will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Proto Labs from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, August 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price target on shares of Proto Labs from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Finally, Craig Hallum raised shares of Proto Labs from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $54.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, August 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $52.50.

About Proto Labs

Proto Labs, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital manufacturer of custom parts in the United States and Europe. The company offers injection molding; computer numerical control machining; three-dimensional printing; and sheet metal fabrication products. It serves developers and engineers, who use 3D computer-aided design software to design products across a range of end-markets.