Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Hits New 1-Year High on Earnings Beat

Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB) shares reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Friday after the company announced better than expected quarterly earnings. The stock traded as high as $59.00 and last traded at $62.0250, with a volume of 40990 shares. The stock had previously closed at $52.48.

The industrial products company reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.09. Proto Labs had a return on equity of 2.23% and a net margin of 2.86%.The business had revenue of $136.49 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $129.07 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.38 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. Proto Labs has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.360-0.440 EPS.

Key Headlines Impacting Proto Labs

Here are the key news stories impacting Proto Labs this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on both top and bottom lines: EPS $0.44 vs. $0.35 est., revenue $136.5M vs. $129.1M est., and revenue +12.1% year-over-year — management called out record revenue and strong year-end momentum. Protolabs Reports Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025
• Positive Sentiment: Raised/strong Q1 2026 guidance and 2026 revenue outlook: Q1 EPS guide of $0.36–$0.44 (versus ~$0.29 consensus) and company outlining 6%–8% revenue growth for 2026 while investing in production capacity and digital tools — this lifted forward estimates. Proto Labs outlines 6%-8% revenue growth for 2026 while advancing production and digital initiatives
• Positive Sentiment: Management is executing on operational initiatives (production expansion and digital manufacturing investments) highlighted in the earnings presentation, which management says will support scalable growth and margin improvement over time. Proto Labs, Inc. 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call transcript and slide deck are available for investors who want management’s color on order trends, margin drivers, and cadence of capital deployment. Proto Labs, Inc. (PRLB) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability metrics remain modest (low net margin / low ROE) and valuation is elevated on forward EPS expectations, leaving the stock sensitive to execution and any guidance misses. Proto Labs: Q4 Earnings Snapshot

Analyst Ratings Changes

PRLB has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Proto Labs in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research lowered shares of Proto Labs from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, Benchmark boosted their price target on shares of Proto Labs from $45.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $53.33.

Insider Activity at Proto Labs

In other news, insider Michael R. Kenison sold 3,048 shares of Proto Labs stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.17, for a total value of $152,918.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 28,898 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,449,812.66. The trade was a 9.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.70% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PRLB. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 2,207 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Proto Labs by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 63,871 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $2,238,000 after purchasing an additional 2,040 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position 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 purchasing an additional 738 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC bought a new stake in Proto Labs in the second quarter worth about $472,000. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its stake in Proto Labs by 0.6% in the second quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 249,584 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $9,986,000 after purchasing an additional 1,427 shares during the last quarter. 84.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Proto Labs Price Performance

The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $53.10 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.45. The firm has a market cap of $1.60 billion, a PE ratio of 76.68 and a beta of 1.24.

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.