Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) and JBT Marel (NYSE:JBTM) Critical Contrast

JBT Marel (NYSE:JBTM) and Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB) are both industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, profitability, valuation and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares JBT Marel and Proto Labs’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
JBT Marel	4.89%	8.75%	4.80%
Proto Labs	6.04%	5.40%	4.73%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

98.9% of JBT Marel shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 84.5% of Proto Labs shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.6% of JBT Marel shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.3% of Proto Labs shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Risk and Volatility

JBT Marel has a beta of 0.93, suggesting that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Proto Labs has a beta of 1.52, suggesting that its stock price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for JBT Marel and Proto Labs, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
JBT Marel	0	2	5	0	2.71
Proto Labs	0	3	3	0	2.50

JBT Marel currently has a consensus target price of $165.20, indicating a potential upside of 28.51%. Proto Labs has a consensus target price of $100.50, indicating a potential upside of 52.34%. Given Proto Labs’ higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Proto Labs is more favorable than JBT Marel.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares JBT Marel and Proto Labs”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
JBT Marel	$3.80 billion	1.76	-$50.50 million	$3.75	34.28
Proto Labs	$533.13 million	2.95	$21.24 million	$1.43	46.13

Proto Labs has lower revenue, but higher earnings than JBT Marel. JBT Marel is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Proto Labs, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

About JBT Marel

JBT Marel Corporation provides technology solutions to food and beverage industry in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America. It offers value-added processing that includes chilling, mixing/grinding, injecting, blending, marinating, tumbling, flattening, forming, portioning, coating, cooking, frying, freezing, extracting, pasteurizing, sterilizing, concentrating, high pressure processing, weighing, inspecting, filling, closing, sealing, end of line material handling, and packaging solutions to the food, beverage, and health market. In addition, it offers automated guided vehicle systems for material movement in the manufacturing, warehouse, and medical facilities. It serves baby food, bakery and confectionery, citrus processing, fruits and nuts, juices, non-food, pet food, pharmaceutical, plant- based beverages and protein, poultry, meat, and seafood, ready meals, oils, soups, sauces, seasoning and dressings, automotive, building material, tissue, paper, and packaging, hospitals, pharma and life sciences, fast moving consumer goods, manufacturing, warehousing, and other industries. The company markets and sells its products and solutions through direct sales force, independent distributors, sales representatives, and technical service teams. The company was formerly known as John Bean Technologies Corporation and changed its name to JBT Marel Corporation in January 2025. JBT Marel Corporation was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

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.