Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB – Get Free Report) and ClearSign Technologies (NASDAQ:CLIR – Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, profitability, risk and analyst recommendations.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Proto Labs and ClearSign Technologies”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Proto Labs | $533.13 million | 2.81 | $21.24 million | $1.43 | 43.87 |
| ClearSign Technologies | $5.23 million | 3.01 | -$5.50 million | ($0.91) | -2.54 |
Proto Labs has higher revenue and earnings than ClearSign Technologies. ClearSign Technologies is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Proto Labs, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings for Proto Labs and ClearSign Technologies, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Proto Labs | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2.50 |
| ClearSign Technologies | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
Proto Labs presently has a consensus price target of $100.50, suggesting a potential upside of 60.19%. ClearSign Technologies has a consensus price target of $20.00, suggesting a potential upside of 765.80%. Given ClearSign Technologies’ higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe ClearSign Technologies is more favorable than Proto Labs.
Profitability
This table compares Proto Labs and ClearSign Technologies’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Proto Labs | 6.04% | 5.40% | 4.73% |
| ClearSign Technologies | -96.07% | -58.08% | -44.61% |
Institutional and Insider Ownership
84.5% of Proto Labs shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 24.0% of ClearSign Technologies shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of Proto Labs shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.2% of ClearSign Technologies shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Volatility & Risk
Proto Labs has a beta of 1.52, suggesting that its stock price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ClearSign Technologies has a beta of 1.49, suggesting that its stock price is 49% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Proto Labs beats ClearSign Technologies on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Proto Labs
Proto Labs, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital manufacturer of custom parts in the United States and Europe. The company offers injection molding; computer numerical control machining; three-dimensional printing; and sheet metal fabrication products. It serves developers and engineers, who use 3D computer-aided design software to design products across a range of end-markets. Proto Labs, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Maple Plain, Minnesota.
About ClearSign Technologies
ClearSign Technologies Corporation designs and develops products and technologies to enhance emission and operational performance, energy efficiency, emission reduction, safety, and overall cost-effectiveness of industrial and commercial systems in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Hong Kong. The company's technologies include ClearSign core burner technology consists of an industrial burner body and a downstream porous ceramic or metal flame stabilizing structure; ClearSign core process burner technology that provides a direct burner replacement for traditional refinery process heaters; ClearSign core boiler burner technology; ClearSign core flaring burners that can be used individually, or in combination, to provide a flare product with extremely low nitrogen oxide emissions; and ClearSign eye flame sensor, an electrical flame sensor for industrial applications. It serves energy, institutional, commercial and industrial boiler, chemical, and petrochemical industries. The company was formerly known as ClearSign Combustion Corporation and changed its name ClearSign Technologies Corporation in November 2019. ClearSign Technologies Corporation was incorporated in 2008 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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