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
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.
Proto Labs just saw its stock hit hard. The shares closed at US$77.64 before earnings and are now trading near US$68.89, a drop of about 11% as investors react to the Q3 2026 release. The headline result tells a differen
Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) reported record third-quarter revenue as demand from aerospace, defense, robotics and other advanced manufacturing markets supported broad-based growth across its major service lines. Revenue for t
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
Key TakeawaysProto Labs shares fell 15% Thursday, even though third-quarter revenue rose 14% to a record $154. 3 million and the company raised its full-year growth outlook.
2026-10-30. The following slide deck was published by Proto Labs, Inc.
Record quarter with fourth straight double-digit growth and 33% EPS expansion.
Moby summary of Proto Labs, Inc.'s Q3 2026 earnings call
Proto Labs reported third quarter 2026 revenue of US$154.3 million and net income of US$11.8 million, with basic EPS from continuing operations of US$0.49. The company also raised its full year revenue guidance and set f
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.