Contrasting Vulcan Intl Cor (OTCMKTS:VULC) and Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB)

Vulcan Intl Cor (OTCMKTS:VULC) and Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) are both industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability and valuation.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.8% of Vulcan Intl Cor shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 84.5% of Proto Labs shares are held by institutional investors. 44.5% of Vulcan Intl Cor shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.7% of Proto Labs shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Vulcan Intl Cor and Proto Labs”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Vulcan Intl Cor	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Proto Labs	$500.89 million	1.95	$16.59 million	$0.60	68.62

Proto Labs has higher revenue and earnings than Vulcan Intl Cor.

Profitability

This table compares Vulcan Intl Cor and Proto Labs’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Vulcan Intl Cor	N/A	N/A	N/A
Proto Labs	2.99%	2.22%	1.99%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Vulcan Intl Cor and Proto Labs, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Vulcan Intl Cor	0	0	0	0	0.00
Proto Labs	0	2	1	0	2.33

Proto Labs has a consensus target price of $43.00, suggesting a potential upside of 4.44%. Given Proto Labs’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Proto Labs is more favorable than Vulcan Intl Cor.

Risk & Volatility

Vulcan Intl Cor has a beta of -755.03, meaning that its stock price is 75,603% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Proto Labs has a beta of 1.33, meaning that its stock price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Proto Labs beats Vulcan Intl Cor on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Vulcan Intl Cor

Vulcan International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells rubber and foam products in Tennessee, the United States. The company offers mixed and uncured rubber products; firm sheet products from SBR, Nitrile, and Neoprene polymers; expanded rubber sheets; polyethylene foams; cross-linked, closed cell, and EVA co-polymer foams; and low density closed cell SBR products. It also provides molded sheet stock and specialty items, such as automobile mats and footwear components. In addition, the company engages in the real estate management and development activities. Vulcan International Corporation was founded in 1909 and is based in Wilmington, Delaware.

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.