Proto Labs Manufactures Another Good Quarter; Stock Pops

Proto Labs (NYSE: PRLB) released solid third-quarter 2017 earnings before the market opened on Thursday. The quick-turn, contract manufacturer of prototypes and low-volume production parts posted revenue growth of 12.7% year over year, while adjusted earnings per share rose nearly 10%. 

The market rallied on the results, sending Proto Labs shares to a closing gain of 8.2% on Thursday. We can attribute the pop to results beating the company's guidance and Wall Street's expectations, as well as a rosier-than-expected fourth-quarter outlook. The stock has gained 72.8% for the year through Thursday, crushing the S&P 500's 16.6% return. It's also breezed by the returns of the two largest pure-play 3D printing stocks, 3D Systems and Stratasys, which are down 11% and up 37%, respectively, for the same period.

Proto Labs stock is up nearly 52% -- more than 6 times the market's return -- since I called it the best stock to buy in the 3D-printing space earlier this year.

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Source: Fool.com