Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB) have earned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the five analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $53.3333.

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Proto Labs from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Proto Labs from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Proto Labs from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Thursday.

Insider Activity at Proto Labs

In related news, insider Michael R. Kenison sold 16,030 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.49, for a total value of $1,113,924.70. Following the transaction, the insider owned 18,683 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,298,281.67. This represents a 46.18% 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. Also, Director Sven Wehrwein sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.28, for a total transaction of $154,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 32,505 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,511,986.40. This trade represents a 5.80% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders sold 25,663 shares of company stock worth $1,804,727. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Proto Labs

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Group One Trading LLC acquired a new position in Proto Labs in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Proto Labs by 7,380.0% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 738 shares during the period. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Proto Labs in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. Modus Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Proto Labs in the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Proto Labs in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $64,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.54% of the company’s stock.

Proto Labs Stock Down 0.6%

PRLB opened at $78.48 on Tuesday. Proto Labs has a 52-week low of $37.91 and a 52-week high of $81.29. The company has a market cap of $1.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 74.04 and a beta of 1.39. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $68.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.67.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 1st. The industrial products company reported $0.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.14. Proto Labs had a net margin of 4.71% and a return on equity of 4.15%. The firm had revenue of $139.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $135.31 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.33 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Proto Labs has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.500-0.580 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Proto Labs will post 1.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.