Yahoo Finance report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Why PRLB Stock dropped -11.27% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) carries a Roarable Rating of D+ (Sell) with 52/100 RQD Confidence due to weak cash-flow efficiency and sensitivity to current interest rates. Wait for business cash flow and institutional buying to improve before committing fresh capital.
🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief)
Is PRLB stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
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As of 2026-11-02, Proto Labs Inc. (NYSE: PRLB) is rated D+ (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 52/100 at a spot price of $68.89 (-11.27% 1D, market cap $1.86B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 10/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 8/20, Executive Insider Alignment 16/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 9/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 9/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, PRLB ranks #227 in composite RQD confidence.
🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief)
How does PRLB compare to KALU and RYZ in the Industrials sector?
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Within the Industrials sector (Metal Fabrications), PRLB carries a Roarable D+ (52/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 87.4x, gross margin of 44.5%, and ROIC of 3.5%. By comparison, KALU (Kaiser Aluminum Corporation) holds a D grade (50/100 RQD, P/E 17.3x, ROIC 7.9%, cap $1.96B) and RYZ (Ryerson Holding Corporation) posts a D+ grade (53/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC -3.4%, cap $1.60B). Among the 5-stock peer group, KALU leads on earnings multiple (17.3x) while KALU leads on capital efficiency (7.9% ROIC).
🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief)
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for PRLB?
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Per PRLB's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001443669), Proto Labs Inc. generated $533.1M in revenue (+6.4% YoY), $21.2M in net income, and $59.7M in free cash flow against $763.4M in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Clean SEC annual filing review with no major hidden accounting time-bombs.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
Altman Z-Score 13.96 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 7/9
SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 11.2% FCF Margin ($59.7M FCF) & 44.5% Gross Margin
Put hedging (50% put share) caps near-term gamma upside (-12 pts vs max)
⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: What Could Spark a PRLB Turnaround Squeeze
While PRLB currently carries a cautious 52/100 (D+) rating due to Whale & Options Positioning (8/20), shorts face asymmetric squeeze risk if free cash flow inflects or management executes accretive buybacks.
Clean SEC annual filing review with no major hidden accounting time-bombs.
Options & Short-Covering Gamma: Reclaiming the 50-day SMA ($86.23) and Max Pain ($72.33) forces dealer call-delta covering toward $104.96.
Forensic Repair Trigger: Halting share dilution (Disciplined Float (-0.40% YoY Shares)) or retiring high-cost debt immediately upgrades the SEC 10-K Forensic pillar.
Why PRLB Stock dropped -11.27% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) dropped -11.27% to $68.89, trading at 43% of its 52-week range ($45.1 – $99.96). Stretched risk/reward at 87x P/E (4% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.
- ▸Technical Tape: Trading at 43% of its 52-week range ($45.1 – $99.96) with RSI-14 at 40.7 (NEUTRAL RANGE).
- ▸Volatility Profile: Historical 20-day realized swing band of ±11.7% around $68.89 (no active unusual options sweep snapshot on file).
- ▸Fundamental Anchor: Roarable D+ (Sell) backed by 44.5% gross margin and $59.7M annual free cash flow.
Seeking Alpha report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Investing.com report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingView report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Simply Wall St report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingKey report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
MarketBeat report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Manufacturing services provider Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) beat Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q3 2026, with sales up 14% year on year to $154.3 million. Guidance for next quarter’s revenue was better than expected at
Small-cap stocks can be incredibly lucrative investments because their lack of analyst coverage leads to frequent mispricings. However, these businesses (and their stock prices) often stay small because their subscale op
Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring PRLB)
- ✓Walkthrough of PRLB's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
- ✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
- ✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks
PRLB Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure
Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).
vs. +6.0% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).
No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on PRLB today. View full Setup Ledger →
No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for PRLB. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.
📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (PRLB)
1. Head-to-Head Industrials Peer Comparison (PRLB vs. KALU, RYZ, TSAT, HLIO)
Industry: Metal Fabrications (47 Tracked Issuers)Across 485 tracked Industrials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) ranks #227 by composite RQD confidence (52/100, grade D+) and #216 by equity capitalization ($1.86B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, KALU leads on earnings valuation at 17.3x trailing P/E, while KALU leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 7.9% ROIC and 13.1% gross margin. HLIO currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 54/100 (D+) compared with PRLB at 52/100 (D+).
| Ticker / Company | Roarable Grade | RQD Score | Trailing P/E | Gross Margin | ROIC | 1D Change | Market Cap | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRLB
ACTIVE
Proto Labs Inc. | D+ | 52/100 | 87.4x | 44.5% | 3.5% | -11.27% | $1.86B | Benchmark Subject |
| KALU Kaiser Aluminum Corporation | D | 50/100 | 17.3x | 13.1% | 7.9% | -2.96% | $1.96B | /kalu-vs-prlb → |
| RYZ Ryerson Holding Corporation | D+ | 53/100 | — | 17.1% | -3.4% | +0.48% | $1.60B | /ryz-vs-prlb → |
| TSAT Telesat Corporation and Class B Variable Voting Shares (Class A) | D | 48/100 | — | — | — | -5.71% | $1.54B | /tsat-vs-prlb → |
| HLIO Helios Technologies Inc. | D+ | 54/100 | 46.5x | 32.3% | 4.7% | -3.09% | $2.25B | /hlio-vs-prlb → |
2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)
SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0001443669In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) reported GAAP revenue of $533.1M (+6.4% vs. FY2024 revenue of $500.9M ) , GAAP net income of $21.2M, operating cash flow of $74.5M, and free cash flow of $59.7M (-13.1% YoY). On the balance sheet, PRLB closed FY2025 with $763.4M in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 13.96, Piotroski F-Score: 7/9).
| Fiscal Period | Filing Date | Revenue | Net Income | Operating Cash Flow | Free Cash Flow | Total Assets | Total Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 (FY) | 2025-12-31 | $533.1M | $21.2M | $74.5M | $59.7M | $763.4M | — |
| FY2024 (FY) | 2024-12-31 | $500.9M | $16.6M | $77.8M | $68.7M | $743.5M | — |
| FY2023 (FY) | 2023-12-31 | $0 | $17.2M | $73.3M | $73.3M | — | — |
3. PRLB Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)
✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLEDIs PRLB stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
As of 2026-11-02, Proto Labs Inc. (NYSE: PRLB) is rated D+ (Sell / SELL) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 52/100 at a spot price of $68.89 (-11.27% 1D, market cap $1.86B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 10/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 8/20, Executive Insider Alignment 16/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 9/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 9/20. Across 485 tracked Industrials issuers, PRLB ranks #227 in composite RQD confidence.
How does PRLB compare to KALU and RYZ in the Industrials sector?
Within the Industrials sector (Metal Fabrications), PRLB carries a Roarable D+ (52/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 87.4x, gross margin of 44.5%, and ROIC of 3.5%. By comparison, KALU (Kaiser Aluminum Corporation) holds a D grade (50/100 RQD, P/E 17.3x, ROIC 7.9%, cap $1.96B) and RYZ (Ryerson Holding Corporation) posts a D+ grade (53/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC -3.4%, cap $1.60B). Among the 5-stock peer group, KALU leads on earnings multiple (17.3x) while KALU leads on capital efficiency (7.9% ROIC).
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for PRLB?
Per PRLB's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001443669), Proto Labs Inc. generated $533.1M in revenue (+6.4% YoY), $21.2M in net income, and $59.7M in free cash flow against $763.4M in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Clean SEC annual filing review with no major hidden accounting time-bombs.. Primary risk factors monitored: Company executives have done more routine share selling than personal cash buying lately.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
Where is PRLB trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?
PRLB last traded at $68.89 (-11.27% on volume of 571,127 shares), positioning the stock -20.11% below its 50-day simple moving average ($86.23) and -6.03% below its 200-day simple moving average ($73.31). Across its 52-week range of $45.10 to $99.96, PRLB sits at the 43.4% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 40.7 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±11.7% ($60.83 to $76.95).
PRLB Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index
100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FREDWhy is PRLB stock moving today?
Why PRLB Stock dropped -11.27% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. Stretched risk/reward at 87x P/E (4% return on capital) under elevated 10-year interest-rate pressure.
PRLB — Proto Labs Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor
Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor
Per the Roarable RQD rating, PRLB scores 52 out of 100, grading D+ with the verdict "Roarable Sell — Weak Fundamentals / Trim." The five pillars are: Fundamental Cash Engine at 10 / 20 (ROIC 3.5%; FCF yield 3.21%), Whale 13F Flow at 8 / 20 (institutional accumulation and options positioning), Insider Conviction at 9 / 20 (SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow), Macro Regime Fit at 9 / 20 (Beta 1.0; sector sensitivity), and Forensic Balance Sheet at 16 / 20 (Altman Z 13.96; Piotroski F 7/9; Debt/Equity 0.5). The two lowest-scoring pillars, cash engine and institutional/insider flow, point to limited return on invested capital and weak conviction signals in the data. The strongest pillar, the forensic balance sheet, indicates the company's solvency profile is comparatively robust per these metrics. For a prospective investor, the upside case rests on the balance-sheet strength and the FCF yield; the valuation tradeoff is that the market data show a P/E (TTM) of 87.4 against an ROIC of 3.5%, meaning the price is high relative to the current returns the business generates. The rating's verdict frames the stock as weak on fundamentals per this model, and the shares fell 14.6% in the most recent session per the market data.
Snapshot
Financial Trend
| Period | Revenue | Operating Income | Net Income | EPS | FCF | Cash | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2025 | $533.1M | $25.1M | $21.2M | N/A | $59.7M | $110.8M | N/A |
| FY 2024 | $500.9M | $19.9M | $16.6M | N/A | $68.7M | $89.1M | N/A |
| FY 2023 | $0.0M | $28.2M | $17.2M | N/A | $73.3M | N/A | N/A |
Per the market data, the operating margin is 4.7%, the net margin is 4%, and the gross margin is 44.5%. ROIC is 3.5%. Per the RQD forensic pillar, the Altman Z-Score is 13.96 and the Piotroski F-Score is 7/9, with Debt/Equity at 0.5. Reported FCF declined from $73.3M in the FY 2023 entry to $59.7M in FY 2025, while revenue rose from $500.9M to $533.1M over the last two reported years.
Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis
- Risk Watch (RED): A Yahoo Finance headline reports the stock price dropping as Q3 earnings meet valuation doubts.
- Catalyst (GREEN): A Seeking Alpha headline states that top-line growth could be significant in Q3 but that valuations look unappealing.
- Market Wire (YELLOW): Investing.com reports William Blair reiterated its rating citing valuation; TradingView reports on the Q3 earnings call; Simply Wall St and TradingKey carry stock analysis and price-action items.
- The Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph lists the supply chain as NONE, with no butterfly links and no proprietary signals.
Open Questions
- What drove the 14.6% single-session decline, and how does it relate to the Q3 earnings items referenced in the news wire?
- What are the specific debt and EPS figures, since the reported filings show N/A for debt and EPS in every period?
- Why does the FY 2023 revenue entry read $0.0M, and is the cash figure for that year available?
- How do FCF trends across FY 2023 to FY 2025 reconcile with the FCF yield of 3.21%?
- What is the company's product mix and customer concentration, which the source data does not describe?
PRLB Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire
Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below
Yahoo Finance report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Seeking Alpha report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Investing.com report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingView report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Simply Wall St report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
TradingKey report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
Yahoo Finance report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
MarketBeat report covering Proto Labs Inc. (PRLB) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.
PRLB Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $68.89?
🔥 Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is PRLB (D+ • RQD 52/100) a Buy at $77.64?
Welcome to the PRLB (Proto Labs Inc.) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 52/100 (Roarable Sell — Weak Fundamentals / Trim) in Metal Fabrications. Bulls point to operating leverage and sector positioning, while bears focus on valuation multiple compression (87.4x trailing P/E). Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.
Pump the brakes on PRLB — check the valuation vs. margin headwinds
Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on PRLB, but look at what you are paying: 87.4x trailing P/E with 44.5% gross margins. Unless Proto Labs Inc. expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.
PRLB cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here
Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on PRLB, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in Metal Fabrications and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $77.64 (52-wk range $45.10 - $99.96), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.