Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Proto Labs' stock has recently crossed above its 200-day moving average, reaching a high of $55.90 before last trading at $54.58.
• Several analysts have raised their price targets for Proto Labs, with Craig Hallum upgrading the stock to a "buy" rating and setting a target of $54.00.
• Proto Labs reported earnings of $0.41 per share for the last quarter, exceeding estimates and showing a 7.6% increase in revenue year-over-year.

Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $42.18 and traded as high as $55.90. Proto Labs shares last traded at $54.58, with a volume of 318,319 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Craig Hallum upgraded shares of Proto Labs from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $54.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on Proto Labs from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Proto Labs from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Proto Labs in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $52.50.

Proto Labs Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.75 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.18. The stock has a market cap of $1.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 90.97 and a beta of 1.24.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.33 by $0.08. Proto Labs had a net margin of 2.91% and a return on equity of 2.22%. The business had revenue of $135.06 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $128.05 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.38 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter 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. Equities analysts expect that Proto Labs, Inc. will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Suresh Krishna acquired 1,725 shares of Proto Labs stock in a transaction on Monday, August 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost 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 in the company, valued at approximately $784,093.71. This trade represents a 10.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Proto Labs

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Disciplined Growth Investors Inc. MN boosted its stake in 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 worth $108,989,000 after purchasing an additional 51,293 shares during the period. Rubric Capital Management LP increased its holdings in Proto Labs by 791.9% during the 2nd quarter. Rubric Capital Management LP now owns 1,034,171 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $41,408,000 after acquiring an additional 918,219 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Proto Labs by 97.4% in the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 711,738 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $24,939,000 after purchasing an additional 351,097 shares in the last quarter. S Squared Technology LLC boosted its position in shares of Proto Labs by 1.3% during the 2nd quarter. S Squared Technology LLC now owns 311,103 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $12,457,000 after acquiring an additional 4,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB increased its holdings in shares of Proto Labs by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 249,584 shares of the industrial products company's stock worth $9,986,000 after buying an additional 1,427 shares during the last quarter. 84.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.

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