Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.360-0.440 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.290. The company issued revenue guidance of $130.0 million-$138.0 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $132.6 million.

Proto Labs Trading Up 28.6%

Shares of PRLB traded up $15.00 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $67.48. The company had a trading volume of 861,693 shares, compared to its average volume of 177,108. The company has a market capitalization of $1.60 billion, a PE ratio of 110.62 and a beta of 1.24. Proto Labs has a one year low of $29.58 and a one year high of $67.57. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $52.76 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $50.17.

Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 6th. The industrial products company reported $0.44 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $136.49 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $129.07 million. Proto Labs had a return on equity of 2.23% and a net margin of 2.86%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. Proto Labs has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.360-0.440 EPS. Analysts forecast that Proto Labs will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on PRLB shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Proto Labs in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Zacks Research lowered Proto Labs from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 30th. Finally, 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. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $53.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at Proto Labs

In related news, insider Michael R. Kenison sold 3,048 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.17, for a total transaction of $152,918.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 28,898 shares in the company, valued at $1,449,812.66. The trade was a 9.54% 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 owned by insiders.

Proto Labs News Roundup

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Proto Labs

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Creative Planning boosted its position in Proto Labs by 9.0% during the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 6,883 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $344,000 after purchasing an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. Swiss National Bank raised its stake in shares of Proto Labs by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 46,100 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,306,000 after buying an additional 700 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Proto Labs by 7,380.0% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 748 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 738 shares in the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in Proto Labs by 28.6% in the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 5,456 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $273,000 after acquiring an additional 1,215 shares during the period. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Proto Labs in the 3rd quarter worth $64,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.54% of the company’s stock.

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.