Risk Intelligence
Core Model
C+
67 / 100
Insufficient Data
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Suggestions
PRLB · NYSE
PROTO LABS INC
Private betaSector unavailable · Industry unavailable
$81.98
+2.80%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Insufficient Data
Updated 12/19/2023
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
PROTO LABS INC
Sector unavailable · Data confidence partial
59 / 100
Rank #204 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 30% · Not Currently Suggested
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
D
46 / 100
Insufficient Data
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
C
63 / 100
Insufficient Data
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
A+
100 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Among the strongest readings on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
D
42 / 100
Elevated
Is today's price reasonable?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
C
61 / 100
Favorable Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Around the middle of the covered universe — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
- Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 42 out of 100, Elevated).
Long-term view
PROTO LABS INC scores 46 on Long-Term Potential (D), described by the research model as insufficient data. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 100 (A+): Positive disclosed activity. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
PROTO LABS INC reads 42 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
PROTO LABS INC reads 61 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 2.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare PRLB with other companiesResearch Collections
This company does not currently satisfy any collection rule. That is a stored research result, not a judgement about the business.
Browse collectionsAbout a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
PROTO LABS INC (PRLB) scores 59 out of 100 and ranks #204 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 30% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is not currently suggested.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 67 out of 100 (C+), recorded as insufficient data. Around the middle of the covered universe.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 46 out of 100 (D), recorded as insufficient data. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 63 out of 100 (C), recorded as insufficient data. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 100 out of 100 (A+), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Among the strongest readings on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation is currently the main point of caution: Valuation Intelligence reads 42 out of 100 (D), recorded as Elevated. PROTO LABS INC reads 42 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 61 out of 100 (C), recorded as Favorable Capital Returns. PROTO LABS INC reads 61 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 2.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 42 out of 100, Elevated). Data confidence for this company is partial.
Bottom line
Its strongest recorded evidence is Ownership Intelligence. Long-Term Potential remains the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads elevated at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Pro Investor Score
Pro Investor Score™
59 / 100
Not Currently Suggested
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #204 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 30%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
—Rank unchanged. Rank unchanged.
- Risk Intelligence
- 67
- Long-Term Potential
- 46
- Fundamental Momentum
- 63
- Ownership Intelligence
- 100
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
100 / 100 · Strong · 20% of the Pro Investor Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Partial Coverage
- Elite Investor Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Institutional Activity
- 100 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
No reliably mapped professional-manager filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2023-09-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
Strong ownership evidence
Disclosed institutional activity evidence is favourable relative to other qualified companies. Ownership evidence is descriptive and reported with a delay.
What holds it back
Long-term potential is mid-pack
Long-Term Potential ranks below the qualified median. This remains a research model.
Ownership Intelligence — Partial Coverage
Only part of the ownership evidence is available for this company. Missing evidence is left missing rather than replaced with a neutral value.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Good. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 42 · Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 61 · Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 59.4 of the stored score (59.4).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 17.4 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 58 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 67 · 29% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 8.8 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 29 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 46 · 15% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 14.6 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 73 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 63 · 25% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 18.6 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 93 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 100 · 31% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Ownership Intelligence — 93 percentile, adding 18.6 points.
- Fundamental Momentum — 73 percentile, adding 14.6 points.
What deserves attention
- Long-Term Potential — 29 percentile, adding only 8.8 of a possible 30 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — PROTO LABS INC reads 42 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — PROTO LABS INC reads 61 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 2.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash.
Pro Investor Intelligence™
Reported by insiders, large shareholders and professional funds. Shown beside our research, never blended into it.
Loading professional-investor activity…
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
42/ 100
Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Good coverage
Compared with its history
40
Elevated
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
25
Expensive
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
40
Elevated
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
69
Attractive
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
PROTO LABS INC reads 42 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 30, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 64.3x · own median 49.6x · peer median 19.3x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
61/ 100
Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
—
Not Applicable — No Dividend
Dividend reliability
This company currently retains rather than distributes cash through dividends. Capital Returns Intelligence therefore places more emphasis on its other measurable shareholder-return behaviors according to the frozen V1 methodology.
Buyback Effectiveness
30
Limited Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
74
Strong Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
88
Exceptional Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
55
Moderate Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
PROTO LABS INC reads 61 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 2.5% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash.
This company currently retains rather than distributes cash through dividends. Capital Returns Intelligence therefore places more emphasis on its other measurable shareholder-return behaviors according to the frozen V1 methodology.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $0.00 · net repurchases $18.76M · total returned $18.76M · 32% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended June 30, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Pro Investor Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #204 | Score 59 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | Not yet suggested | |
| Highest rank | #204 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
Proto Labs, Inc. was incorporated in Minnesota in 1999. The terms "Proto Labs," "Protolabs," the "Company," "we," "us," and "our" as used herein refer to the business and operations of Proto Labs, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
We are the world’s fastest manufacturing service enabling companies across every industry to streamline production of quality parts throughout the entire product life cycle. From custom prototyping to end-use production, we support product developers, engineers, and supply chain teams along every phase of their manufacturing journey. Founded in 1999, we radically reduced the time needed to produce injection molding prototypes through complex software that automated the manufacturing process. Over the next two decades, we added computer numerical control ("CNC") machining, 3D printing, and sheet metal fabrication, and later acquired 3D Hubs, Inc ("Hubs") and launched the Protolabs Network, our global network of manufacturing partners ("MPs"). Our 25+ years of growth while expanding capabilities provide customers with the best digital manufacturing experience in the industry.
Our vision is accelerating innovation by revolutionizing manufacturing. Our mission is to shape the future by bringing customer ideas to life across every stage of the product life cycle. We accomplish this by offering a variety of manufacturing capabilities fulfilled through a combination of owned manufacturing factories ("Factory") and a worldwide network of premium manufacturing partners ("Network").
Our automated quoting and manufacturing systems are highly integrated with our manufacturing and fulfillment systems, which allow us to offer a vast array of manufacturing technologies in a variety of materials across a continuum of lead times and prices. Protolabs uses artificial intelligence ("AI") in a number of different ways to improve our efficiency and the value we offer to customers, including: intelligent pricing and sourcing algorithms, automated quality inspection in injection molding, toolpath verification in CNC machining, software development, and various other AI end use cases. In the age of AI, we are well-positioned with our long history of leveraging technology to solve legacy manufacturing challenges and are deploying AI to power how we drive innovation to better serve our customers. AI is enabling us to move faster than ever before and continue to scale our business efficiently. Our highly differentiated manufacturing offerings are backed by an intellectual property portfolio of 60 patents, and over 60 additional trade secrets. Our patents are in the areas of methods of manufacturing (both subtractive and additive), software supporting methods of manufacturing, and pricing of parts.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed February 20, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
67
Fundamentally Qualified
No prior period to compare
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
46
Ordinary Compounder
No prior period to compare
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
63
Accelerating
No prior period to compare
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
—
Insufficient Data
No prior period to compare
No tracked manager filings mapped to this company.
Intelligence history
Not enough stored history to chart PRLB yet. A company needs at least two published research or ownership periods before a trend can be shown.
Share price
PRLB price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- +48.4%
- 1Y change
- +63.0%
- 3Y change
- +205.1%
- 5Y change
- +16.8%
- Max change
- -19.0%
Last stored close $81.98 · +63.0% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- No specific negative evidence is available. This is not evidence of low risk.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
6
New holders
4
Increasing
0
Reducing
0
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2022-12-31 · Public 12/19/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
No qualifying changes are recorded for this company in the stored research and filing history.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.