Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Sets New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday after Zacks Research upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating. The stock traded as high as $68.45 and last traded at $66.99, with a volume of 248797 shares. The stock had previously closed at $66.35.

PRLB has been the topic of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Proto Labs in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Benchmark raised their price objective on Proto Labs from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $53.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Michael R. Kenison sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $150,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 34,526 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,071,560. This represents a 6.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Proto Labs

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in Proto Labs by 51.3% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,510 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $228,000 after buying an additional 2,207 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Proto Labs by 3.3% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 63,871 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,238,000 after acquiring an additional 2,040 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new stake in Proto Labs during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $472,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in Proto Labs by 0.6% during the 2nd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 249,584 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,986,000 after acquiring an additional 1,427 shares during the last quarter. 84.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Proto Labs Trading Up 1.5%

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $54.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $51.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 76.64 and a beta of 1.24.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 6th. The industrial products company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.09. Proto Labs had a return on equity of 3.20% and a net margin of 3.98%.The company had revenue of $136.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $129.07 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.38 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. Proto Labs has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.360-0.440 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Proto Labs, Inc. will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current 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.