Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Stock Rating Reaffirmed by Needham & Company LLC

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB)‘s stock had its “hold” rating reiterated by Needham & Company LLC in a research report issued on Monday, Benzinga reports.

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Proto Labs from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd.

Proto Labs Trading Down 0.2 %

Shares of PRLB stock opened at $31.09 on Monday. Proto Labs has a 12-month low of $23.01 and a 12-month high of $41.87. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $34.01 and its 200 day moving average is $34.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $794.66 million, a P/E ratio of 40.38 and a beta of 1.36.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The industrial products company reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.32 by ($0.05). The company had revenue of $125.10 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $122.81 million. Proto Labs had a return on equity of 2.88% and a net margin of 3.92%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($4.24) EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Proto Labs will post 0.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Proto Labs

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Proto Labs by 4.4% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 811,902 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $31,633,000 after buying an additional 34,434 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Proto Labs by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 385,196 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $10,169,000 after purchasing an additional 18,372 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Proto Labs in the 4th quarter worth approximately $11,382,000. S Squared Technology LLC lifted its position in shares of Proto Labs by 177.3% in the 3rd quarter. S Squared Technology LLC now owns 251,803 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,648,000 after purchasing an additional 161,008 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC lifted its position in shares of Proto Labs by 21.1% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 234,765 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $6,198,000 after purchasing an additional 40,903 shares during the period. 84.54% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.