Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Trading Up 4.7% - What's Next?

Key Points

• Proto Labs shares rose 4.7% to $93.35 in mid-day trading, despite volume running 51% below the average daily level. The stock’s market capitalization is approximately $2.25 billion, with a P/E ratio of 75.04.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Buy” rating and an average price target of $89.00. Recent recommendations ranged from upgrades to “Strong Buy” to downgrades that still maintained a buy rating.
• Proto Labs exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.60 EPS versus $0.53 expected and revenue of $149.34 million, up 10.5% year over year. CFO Daniel Schumacher subsequently sold 4,900 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 4.7% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $92.74 and last traded at $93.3450. 95,993 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 51% from the average daily volume of 195,896 shares. The stock had previously closed at $89.13.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PRLB has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded Proto Labs from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Weiss Ratings cut Proto Labs from a "buy (b)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, September 18th. Benchmark boosted their target price on shares of Proto Labs from $70.00 to $91.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Zacks Research raised shares of Proto Labs from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC upgraded shares of Proto Labs from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $87.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, August 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and three have given a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Proto Labs has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $89.00.

Proto Labs Stock Up 5.4%

The firm's 50-day moving average price is $82.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $73.29. The firm has a market cap of $2.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 75.04 and a beta of 1.42.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $149.34 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $144.53 million. Proto Labs had a net margin of 5.44% and a return on equity of 4.80%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.41 EPS. Proto Labs has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 0.560-0.640 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Proto Labs, Inc. will post 1.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO Daniel Schumacher sold 4,900 shares of Proto Labs stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $85.21, for a total transaction of $417,529.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 40,019 shares in the company, valued at $3,410,018.99. The trade was a 10.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Proto Labs

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund raised its holdings in Proto Labs by 2.4% in the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 12,871 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $734,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Proto Labs in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Angeles Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 12.4% in the 2nd quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,045 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $411,000 after purchasing an additional 555 shares in the last quarter. USA Financial Formulas purchased a new stake in shares of Proto Labs during the 1st quarter worth $52,000. Finally, Modus Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Proto Labs during the 4th quarter worth $57,000. 84.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Proto Labs Company Profile

Proto Labs, Inc NYSE: PRLB, doing business as Protolabs, is a digital manufacturing company that provides rapid prototyping and on-demand production services. Its platform enables engineers and product developers to upload three-dimensional computer-aided design files, receive automated design analyses and quotes, and order custom parts through a streamlined online process.

The company offers computer numerical control machining, injection molding, 3D printing and sheet-metal fabrication.

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