PRLB vs LECO vs GE Stock Comparison

Proto Labs, Lincoln Electric Holdings and General Electric Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
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PRLB Proto Labs Inc
$91.00 -6.1% 1M +70.1% 1Y
Market cap
$2.18B
P/E
71.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$560.54M
Div. yield
–
3D Printing Industrials
2 wins
GE General Electric Co
$301.37 -5.3% 1M -2.7% 1Y
Market cap
$311.42B
P/E
34.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$52.58B
Div. yield
0.59%
Commercial Aerospace Industrials
5 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

General Electric leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (General Electric 5, Lincoln Electric Holdings 5, Proto Labs 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionPRLBLECOGELeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $2.18B $15.20B $311.42B GE
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 71.6x 26.5x 34.3x LECO
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 39.7x 24.1x 39.7x LECO
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +10.2% +11.1% +19.6% GE
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 5.4% 12.4% 17.3% GE
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — 22.6% -38.7% LECO
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 1.0x -0.7x GE
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield — 1.13% 0.59% LECO
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +70.1% +16.6% -2.7% PRLB
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +8.8%/yr +14.5%/yr +35.8%/yr GE
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 46.9% 30.8% 33.2% LECO
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 60/100 55/100 45/100 PRLB

Percentile Scorecard

PRLBLECOGE

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

AxisPRLBLECOGE
Valuation 32 #138 of 203 36 #130 of 203 32 #68 of 100
Growth 83 #32 of 188 43 #107 of 188 33 #65 of 97
Profitability 49 #94 of 184 95 #11 of 184 57 #42 of 96
Financial Health 95 #11 of 217 45 #119 of 217 18 #86 of 105
Shareholder Returns 38 #96 of 153 57 #66 of 153 84 #11 of 65
Overall 60 55 45
  • PRLB ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • LECO ranked among 222 companies in Machinery
  • GE 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

PeriodPRLBLECOGESPY
1 month -6.1%+3.5%-5.3% +0.9%
3 months +27.6%+8.8%-14.1% +5.9%
6 months +46.2%+9.0%+6.3% +8.5%
Year to date +79.9%+17.1%-2.2% +13.3%
1 year +70.1%+16.6%-2.7% +12.4%
3 years +290.9%+62.5%+255.1% +88.1%
3 years, per year +57.6%+17.6%+52.6% +23.5%
5 years +52.1%+97.0%+361.2% +68.2%
5 years, per year +8.8%+14.5%+35.8% +11.0%
10 years +104.7%+328.4%+115.2% +263.4%
10 years, per year +7.4%+15.7%+8.0% +13.8%

Risk

MeasurePRLBLECOGESPY
Volatility, 1Y 46.9%30.8%33.2% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 39.1%31.2%35.3% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 2.081.181.22 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.500.54-0.08 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -65.6%-35.3%-45.1% -25.4%
From 52-week high -7.7%-6.1%-20.9% -0.9%
52-week high $98.64$298.88$381.07 $779.14
52-week low $46.81$220.64$273.25 $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.

MultiplePRLBLECOGE
P/E now vs peer median 71.6xmedian 25.4x 26.5xmedian 25.4x 34.3xmedian 26.4x
P/S now vs peer median 3.9xmedian 1.9x 3.3xmedian 1.9x 5.9xmedian 3.0x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 29.3xmedian 14.3x 17.7xmedian 14.3x -21.0xmedian 14.5x
P/FCF now vs peer median 38.4xmedian 21.8x 29.7xmedian 21.8x 39.0xmedian 26.1x
P/B now vs peer median 3.1xmedian 2.2x 9.8xmedian 2.2x 17.5xmedian 2.5x
PEG now vs peer median 2.24median 1.41 3.80median 1.41 -119.97median 0.90

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 monthsPRLBLECOGE
Revenue $560.54M $4.64B $52.58B
Gross profit $254.60M $1.65B $18.52B
Operating income $36.81M $802.52M -$16.58B
Net income $30.48M $575.27M $9.13B
Free cash flow $56.66M $511.89M $7.99B
R&D $42.36M – $1.81B
EPS (diluted) $1.25 $10.48 $8.74
Cash & equivalents $127.92M $283.24M $8.76B
Total debt – $1.15B $19.33B
Shares (diluted) 24.42M 54.87M 1.04B
Enterprise value $1.65B $14.06B $270.17B

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
MetricPRLBLECOGE
P/E 71.6x 26.5x 34.3x
P/FCF 38.4x 29.7x 39.0x
P/Operating cash flow 27.7x 22.8x 33.0x
P/S 3.9x 3.3x 5.9x
P/B 3.1x 9.8x 17.5x
P/Tangible book 3.2x 9.8x 22.7x
EV/EBITDA 29.3x 17.7x -21.0x
EV/EBIT 55.3x 20.0x -19.4x
EV/Revenue 3.6x 3.5x 6.1x
EV/FCF 35.9x 31.4x 40.3x
EV/Operating cash flow 25.9x 24.1x 34.2x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 2.24 3.80 -119.97

Growth

14 metrics
MetricPRLBLECOGE
Revenue growth (1Y) 10.2% 11.1% 19.6%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 4.9% 4.5% 7.2%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 13.3% 7.7% 11.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 6.8% 5.5% 10.9%
Operating income growth (1Y) 121.9% 12.9% 13.2%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 33.2% 7.0% -98.5%
Net income growth (1Y) 105.8% 9.6% 13.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 31.6% 4.9% -3.4%
EPS growth (1Y) 103.1% 11.0% 15.5%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 32.0% 7.0% -0.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 10.6% 0.7% 21.4%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 7.7% 0.5% 6.3%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -14.0% -6.3% 20.1%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 11.9% -3.6% 2.7%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricPRLBLECOGE
Gross margin 45.4% 35.5% 35.2%
EBITDA margin 12.4% 19.5% -29.1%
Operating margin 6.6% 17.3% -31.5%
Pretax margin 7.6% 16.2% 20.3%
Net margin 5.4% 12.4% 17.3%
FCF margin 10.1% 11.0% 15.2%
Operating cash flow margin 14.0% 14.4% 17.9%
Return on equity 4.4% 37.0% 51.2%
Return on assets 3.9% 14.9% 7.2%
Return on invested capital – 22.6% -38.7%
Return on capital employed 5.2% 27.7% -19.5%
Asset turnover 0.7x 1.2x 0.4x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.6x 1.2x 1.0x
Stock comp / revenue 2.6% 0.5% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricPRLBLECOGE
Debt / assets – 29.5% 15.2%
Debt / equity – 0.7x 1.1x
Net debt / EBITDA – 1.0x -0.7x
Debt / FCF – 2.2x 2.4x
Liabilities / assets 12.6% 60.1% 86.0%
Equity / assets 87.4% 39.9% 14.0%
Interest coverage – – -17.9x
Current ratio 3.6x 1.9x 1.0x
Quick ratio 3.2x 1.0x 0.6x
Cash ratio 2.0x 0.3x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 14.72 7.71 2.70

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricPRLBLECOGE
Dividend yield – 1.1% 0.6%
Net buyback yield 0.6% 1.8% 2.7%
Shareholder yield 0.6% 2.9% 3.3%
Payout ratio (earnings) – 30.0% 19.1%
Payout ratio (FCF) – 33.7% 21.8%
Dividend growth (1Y) – 3.5% 26.6%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – 6.3% 36.5%

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.

ConsensusPRLBLECOGE
Forward P/E 39.7xFY2026 24.1xFY2026 39.7xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $2.29FY2026 $11.62FY2026 $7.59FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +38.0%FY2026 +17.7%FY2026 +19.2%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +10.0% +0.4% +28.1%
Revenue, next fiscal year $612.40MFY2026 $4.84BFY2026 $54.10BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +14.9%FY2026 +14.5%FY2026 +27.8%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +4.8% +5.5% +11.8%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersPRLBLECOGE
Held by institutions 93.7% 81.3% 79.4%
Institutions holding 276 701 3,443
Change in shares held, QoQ +1.7% +5.5% +1.5%
Institutions buying 145 297 1,830
Institutions selling 89 266 1,149
Buyers to sellers 1.63 1.12 1.59

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.

PRLBLECOGE
PRLB 1.00 0.50 0.36
LECO 0.50 1.00 0.41
GE 0.36 0.41 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, PRLB, LECO and GE?

General Electric (GE) is the largest by market capitalisation: Proto Labs (PRLB) $2.18B, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) $15.20B, General Electric (GE) $311.42B.

Which stock is cheaper, PRLB, LECO and GE?

Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Proto Labs (PRLB) 71.6x, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) 26.5x, General Electric (GE) 34.3x). On next year's consensus earnings, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) is cheapest (Proto Labs (PRLB) 39.7x, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) 24.1x, General Electric (GE) 39.7x). 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: Proto Labs (PRLB) +10.2%, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) +11.1%, General Electric (GE) +19.6%.

Which company is more profitable?

General Electric (GE) has the highest net margin (Proto Labs (PRLB) 5.4%, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) 12.4%, General Electric (GE) 17.3%). On return on invested capital, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) leads (Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) 22.6%, General Electric (GE) -38.7%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Proto Labs (PRLB) returned the most: Proto Labs (PRLB) +70.1%, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) +16.6%, General Electric (GE) -2.7%. Over five years, General Electric (GE) compounded fastest (Proto Labs (PRLB) +8.8%/yr, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) +14.5%/yr, General Electric (GE) +35.8%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) has the highest dividend yield: Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) 1.13%, General Electric (GE) 0.59%. Proto Labs (PRLB) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) has been the steadiest (Proto Labs (PRLB) 46.9%, Lincoln Electric Holdings (LECO) 30.8%, General Electric (GE) 33.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

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

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 5. 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.