GE vs PRLB vs HWM Stock Comparison

General Electric, Proto Labs and Howmet Aerospace Prices as of Oct 23, 2026 Peers: Industry group
GE General Electric Co
$285.64 -10.7% 1M -6.8% 1Y
Market cap
$298.78B
P/E
32.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$52.58B
Div. yield
0.01%
Commercial Aerospace Industrials
6 wins
PRLB Proto Labs Inc
$85.54 -4.2% 1M +54.8% 1Y
Market cap
$2.07B
P/E
67.8x
Revenue (TTM)
$560.54M
Div. yield
–
3D Printing Industrials
1 win
HWM Howmet Aerospace Inc.
$185.88 -18.7% 1M -7.1% 1Y
Market cap
$77.71B
P/E
41.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$9.12B
Div. yield
0.00%
Commercial Aerospace Industrials
5 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

General Electric leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (General Electric 6, Howmet Aerospace 5, Proto Labs 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionGEPRLBHWMLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $298.78B $2.07B $77.71B GE
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 32.8x 67.8x 41.6x GE
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 38.6x 37.4x 35.8x HWM
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +19.6% +10.2% +18.1% GE
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 17.3% 5.4% 20.5% HWM
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital -57.8% — 19.4% HWM
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA -0.5x — 1.4x GE
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.01% 0.00% 0.00% GE
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -6.8% +54.8% -7.1% PRLB
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +34.6%/yr +3.7%/yr +43.6%/yr HWM
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 33.1% 46.8% 34.9% GE
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 45/100 59/100 74/100 HWM

Percentile Scorecard

GEPRLBHWM

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisGEPRLBHWM
Valuation 32 #68 of 100 34 #135 of 203 39 #61 of 100
Growth 28 #70 of 97 83 #32 of 188 90 #11 of 97
Profitability 59 #40 of 96 52 #91 of 187 98 #3 of 96
Financial Health 19 #86 of 106 96 #11 of 222 50 #54 of 106
Shareholder Returns 86 #10 of 65 32 #104 of 153 92 #6 of 65
Overall 45 59 74
  • GE ranked among 107 companies in Aerospace and Defense
  • PRLB ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • HWM ranked among 107 companies in Aerospace and Defense

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodGEPRLBHWMSPY
1 month -10.7%-4.2%-18.7% -1.0%
3 months -19.2%+9.2%-35.8% +2.9%
6 months +0.4%+32.4%-23.3% +6.4%
Year to date -7.3%+69.1%-9.3% +11.4%
1 year -6.8%+54.8%-7.1% +13.1%
3 years +215.0%+251.1%+327.3% +79.4%
3 years, per year +46.6%+52.0%+62.3% +21.5%
5 years +340.7%+19.7%+510.2% +67.7%
5 years, per year +34.6%+3.7%+43.6% +10.9%
10 years +105.7%+59.8%— +255.2%
10 years, per year +7.5%+4.8%— +13.5%

Risk

MeasureGEPRLBHWMSPY
Volatility, 1Y 33.1%46.8%34.9% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 35.1%38.7%36.4% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 1.212.031.08 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.201.17-0.20 1.03
Max drawdown, 5Y -45.1%-71.4%-36.5% -25.4%
From 52-week high -25.0%-13.3%-36.5% -2.5%
52-week high $381.07$98.64$292.71 $779.14
52-week low $273.25$46.81$185.88 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleGEPRLBHWM
P/E now vs peer median 32.5xmedian 26.2x 67.3xmedian 25.9x 39.8xmedian 26.2x
P/S now vs peer median 5.6xmedian 2.9x 3.7xmedian 1.9x 8.2xmedian 2.9x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median -13.0xmedian 14.7x 27.4xmedian 13.7x 28.0xmedian 14.7x
P/FCF now vs peer median 36.9xmedian 24.9x 36.1xmedian 21.1x 41.5xmedian 24.9x
P/B now vs peer median 16.6xmedian 2.4x 3.0xmedian 2.3x 13.0xmedian 2.4x
PEG now vs peer median -113.70median 0.92 2.10median 1.19 0.73median 0.92

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsGEPRLBHWM
Revenue $52.58B $560.54M $9.12B
Gross profit $18.52B $254.60M $3.29B
Operating income -$24.73B $36.81M $2.50B
Net income $9.13B $30.48M $1.87B
Free cash flow $7.99B $56.66M $1.79B
R&D $1.81B $42.36M $37.00M
EPS (diluted) $8.74 $1.25 $4.65
Cash & equivalents $8.76B $127.92M $563.00M
Total debt $79.60B – $20.67B
Shares (diluted) 1.04B 24.42M 402.00M
Enterprise value $257.30B $1.54B $73.31B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricGEPRLBHWM
P/E 32.5x 67.3x 39.8x
P/FCF 36.9x 36.1x 41.5x
P/Operating cash flow 31.3x 26.1x 33.5x
P/S 5.6x 3.7x 8.2x
P/B 16.6x 3.0x 13.0x
P/Tangible book 21.5x 3.0x 15.3x
EV/EBITDA -13.0x 27.4x 28.0x
EV/EBIT -12.4x 51.7x 31.4x
EV/Revenue 5.8x 3.4x 8.6x
EV/FCF 38.3x 33.6x 43.7x
EV/Operating cash flow 32.4x 24.2x 35.3x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -113.70 2.10 0.73

Growth

14 metrics
MetricGEPRLBHWM
Revenue growth (1Y) 19.6% 10.2% 18.1%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 7.2% 4.9% 13.7%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 11.7% 13.3% 30.2%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 10.9% 6.8% 25.3%
Operating income growth (1Y) -29.4% 121.9% 32.6%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -126.8% 33.2% 34.8%
Net income growth (1Y) 13.2% 105.8% 33.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -3.4% 31.6% 52.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 15.5% 103.1% 35.4%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -0.3% 32.0% 54.1%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 21.4% 10.6% 56.1%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 6.3% 7.7% 42.2%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 20.1% -14.0% 75.9%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 2.7% 11.9% 45.6%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricGEPRLBHWM
Gross margin 35.2% 45.4% 36.0%
EBITDA margin -44.6% 12.4% 30.7%
Operating margin -47.0% 6.6% 27.4%
Pretax margin 20.3% 7.6% 25.0%
Net margin 17.3% 5.4% 20.5%
FCF margin 15.2% 10.1% 19.6%
Operating cash flow margin 17.9% 14.0% 24.4%
Return on equity 51.2% 4.4% 33.3%
Return on assets 7.2% 3.9% 14.2%
Return on invested capital -57.8% – 19.4%
Return on capital employed -29.1% 5.2% 23.0%
Asset turnover 0.4x 0.7x 0.7x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.0x 2.6x 1.2x
Stock comp / revenue – 2.6% 1.0%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricGEPRLBHWM
Debt / assets 15.2% – 34.0%
Debt / equity 1.1x – 0.8x
Net debt / EBITDA -0.5x – 1.4x
Debt / FCF 2.4x – 2.5x
Liabilities / assets 86.0% 12.6% 56.7%
Equity / assets 14.0% 87.4% 43.3%
Interest coverage -26.7x – –
Current ratio 1.0x 3.6x 1.8x
Quick ratio 0.6x 3.2x 0.7x
Cash ratio 0.2x 2.0x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 2.40 13.94 7.95

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricGEPRLBHWM
Dividend yield 0.6% – 0.3%
Net buyback yield 2.9% 0.6% 1.3%
Shareholder yield 3.5% 0.6% 1.6%
Payout ratio (earnings) 19.1% – 10.4%
Payout ratio (FCF) 21.8% – 10.9%
Dividend growth (1Y) 26.6% – 30.0%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 36.5% – 47.3%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusGEPRLBHWM
Forward P/E 38.6xFY2026 37.4xFY2026 35.8xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $7.40FY2026 $2.29FY2026 $5.19FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +16.2%FY2026 +38.0%FY2026 +37.7%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +28.6% +9.6% +31.2%
Revenue, next fiscal year $53.75BFY2026 $612.12MFY2026 $10.37BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +27.0%FY2026 +14.8%FY2026 +25.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +11.1% +4.8% +15.9%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersGEPRLBHWM
Held by institutions 79.4% 93.7% 91.0%
Institutions holding 3,441 276 1,600
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.5% +1.7% +0.7%
Institutions buying 1,829 145 907
Institutions selling 1,148 89 484
Buyers to sellers 1.59 1.63 1.87

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

GEPRLBHWM
GE 1.00 0.35 0.67
PRLB 0.35 1.00 0.36
HWM 0.67 0.36 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, GE, PRLB and HWM?

General Electric (GE) is the largest by market capitalisation: General Electric (GE) $298.78B, Proto Labs (PRLB) $2.07B, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) $77.71B.

Which stock is cheaper, GE, PRLB and HWM?

General Electric (GE) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (General Electric (GE) 32.8x, Proto Labs (PRLB) 67.8x, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 41.6x). On next year's consensus earnings, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) is cheapest (General Electric (GE) 38.6x, Proto Labs (PRLB) 37.4x, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 35.8x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

General Electric (GE) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: General Electric (GE) +19.6%, Proto Labs (PRLB) +10.2%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) +18.1%.

Which company is more profitable?

Howmet Aerospace (HWM) has the highest net margin (General Electric (GE) 17.3%, Proto Labs (PRLB) 5.4%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 20.5%). On return on invested capital, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) leads (General Electric (GE) -57.8%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 19.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Proto Labs (PRLB) returned the most: General Electric (GE) -6.8%, Proto Labs (PRLB) +54.8%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) -7.1%. Over five years, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) compounded fastest (General Electric (GE) +34.6%/yr, Proto Labs (PRLB) +3.7%/yr, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) +43.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

General Electric (GE) has the highest dividend yield: General Electric (GE) 0.01%, Proto Labs (PRLB) 0.00%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 0.00%. Proto Labs (PRLB) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, General Electric (GE) has been the steadiest (General Electric (GE) 33.1%, Proto Labs (PRLB) 46.8%, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) 34.9%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, GE, PRLB and HWM?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, General Electric (GE) leads on 6. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.