5 3D Printing Stocks Worth Following

3D printing has created everything from knick-knacks to single-family houses, and its potential appears limitless. Among the most recent product developments generated by this technology are plant-based steaks, reusable rockets, aircraft engines and a schoolhouse in Malawi.

The global market for 3D printing products and services was valued at approximately $12.6 billion in 2020, according to data from Statista Research Department, and it is forecasted to expand at a compound annual growth rate of roughly 17% between 2020 and 2023.

No less of a figure than Cathie Wood, whose Ark Invest runs an exchange-traded fund partly focused on 3D printing, has declared it to be “one of the highest growth potential industries in the economy.”

In many ways, the 3D printing industry represents a work in progress as the full gamut of applications from this technology is slowly being embraced by different sectors.

For your consideration, here are five 3D printing companies whose stocks might deserve an extra bit of attention.

Nano Dimension Ltd - ADR: NNDM This Israeli company was founded in 2012 and is best known for its proprietary DragonFly technology using digital files and simultaneous 3D-printing of dielectric and conductive materials to create multilayered electronic devices. A version 2.0 of the technology was announced in May.

Among the recent developments at the company have been the hiring of former Amazon.com Inc. AMZN executive Sean Patterson as its president for the Americas, the acquisitions of 3D micro-printing provider NanoFabrica Ltd. and machine learning/deep learning provider DeepCube Ltd. and a joint venture with Germany’s Hensoldt AG focused on creating the next generation of 3D electronic printing designs.

In its first-quarter earnings, Nano Dimensions reported $811,000 in revenue, up from $702,000 one year earlier, and a net loss of $9.3 million, compared with a $2 million loss in the previous year.

At last check, its stock was trading at $7.70, sandwiched between its 52-week high of $17.89 and its 52-week low of $1.31.

Proto Labs Inc.: PRLB Founded in 1999 and based in Maple Plain, Minnesota, this company is a digital manufacturing source for prototypes and low-volume production parts created with industrial 3D printing, CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication and injection molding technologies.

Proto Labs began the year with the acquisition of 3D Hubs Inc., an online manufacturing platform for custom parts, and the launch of a new digital quoting and design analysis platform for U.S. customers to improve project management with greater transparency — a similar platform was created for its European customers late last year.

In its first-quarter earnings, Proto Labs reported revenue of $116 million, up from $115 million one year earlier, and net income of $3.7 million, down from $13.9 million in the previous year. Its stock is now at $89.10, somewhat closer to its 52-week low of $82.60 than to its 52-week high of $286.57.

Stratasys Ltd.: SSYS Incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, this company offers 3D printing systems and materials and also operates the online 3D printing industry resources Thingiverse.com and GrabCAD Community.

Earlier this year, Stratasys completed the acquisition of the San Francisco-based additive manufacturing provider Origin and UK-based RP Support Ltd., a provider of industrial stereolithography 3D printers and solutions. The company also introduced a trio of 3D printing solutions.

Stratasys reported first-quarter revenue of $134.2 million, up from $132.9 million one year earlier, and a net loss of $18,911, down from a loss of $21,788 in first-quarter 2020. Its stock is currently at $23.32, which is closer to its 52-week low of $11.89 than its 52-week high of $56.95.

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3D Systems Corporation: DDD Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, this company serves a global market with a variety of hardware, software, materials and services, with a primary focus on healthcare and industrial markets.

Over the past two months, the company has seen a mix of growth strategies and calculated streamlining. It acquired a pair of companies — the 3D bioprinting and bioinks provider Allevi Inc. and the German software firm Additive Works GmbH and announced plans for a 50,000-square-foot expansion of its Denver-area facility while selling its On Demand Manufacturing business to the private equity firm Trilantic North America for $82 million.

In its Q1 earnings report, 3D Systems reported $146.1 million in revenue, up 7.7% from the $135.6 million recorded one year earlier, with a net income of $45.2 million versus the $18.9 million loss from one year earlier. At last check, its stock was trading at $36.11, closer to its 52-week high of $56.50 than to its 52-week low of $4.60.

3DX Industries Inc.: DDDX Founded in 2008 and based in Ferndale, Washington, this company’s focus encompasses 3D metal and plastic printing along with additive and traditional manufacturing services including product design, engineering and assembly services.

The company is also in an expansion phase: Last month, it hired inventor and agronomist Anthony J. Bredberg to head its new research and development division while acquiring a patent portfolio to create a more environmentally efficient and friendly end product.

3DX has also brought in new executives to boost marketing, identify distressed and undervalued manufacturing facilities for potential acquisition and grow market share along the East Coast.

The new leadership team has its work cut out for them: First quarter revenue was $77,823, down from $87,115 one year earlier, while its $514,236 net income loss was greater than the $91,638 loss in the previous year. The company used its quarterly report to pledge the raising of “additional financing through debt and or equity financing and by other means that it deems necessary, intending to move forward and sustain a prolonged growth in its strategy phases.”

Still, penny stock fans and Reddit apes in search of unlikely opportunities might want to follow 3DX, whose budget-friendly stock was trading at 10 cents at last check, sandwiched between its 52-week high of 23 cents and its 52-week low on 1 cent.

(Illustration: Mohamed Hassan / Pixabay.)