ClearSign Technologies (NASDAQ:CLIR – Get Free Report) and Proto Labs (NYSE:PRLB – Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, risk and profitability.
Profitability
This table compares ClearSign Technologies and Proto Labs’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| ClearSign Technologies | -96.07% | -58.08% | -44.61% |
| Proto Labs | 6.04% | 5.40% | 4.73% |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares ClearSign Technologies and Proto Labs”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| ClearSign Technologies | $5.23 million | 3.01 | -$5.50 million | ($0.91) | -2.54 |
| Proto Labs | $533.13 million | 3.02 | $21.24 million | $1.43 | 47.14 |
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.
Risk and Volatility
ClearSign Technologies has a beta of 1.49, indicating that its stock price is 49% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Proto Labs has a beta of 1.52, indicating that its stock price is 52% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings for ClearSign Technologies and Proto Labs, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| ClearSign Technologies | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Proto Labs | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2.50 |
ClearSign Technologies presently has a consensus target price of $20.00, indicating a potential upside of 763.93%. Proto Labs has a consensus target price of $100.50, indicating a potential upside of 49.08%. Given ClearSign Technologies’ higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe ClearSign Technologies is more favorable than Proto Labs.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
24.0% of ClearSign Technologies shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 84.5% of Proto Labs shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.2% of ClearSign Technologies shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.3% of Proto Labs shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary
Proto Labs beats ClearSign Technologies on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About ClearSign Technologies
ClearSign Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: CLIR) develops technologies designed to improve the performance, efficiency and environmental characteristics of industrial and commercial combustion systems. Its solutions are intended for applications that use burners and other combustion equipment to generate heat, including systems used in process heating, power generation and other industrial operations. The company’s product portfolio includes the ClearSign Core combustion technology, which is designed to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions while supporting efficient burner operation.
About Proto Labs
Proto Labs, Inc. is a digital manufacturing company that helps businesses make custom parts for product development and production. Its services connect customers with manufacturing capabilities through an online platform, supporting projects from prototypes to production runs. The company offers injection molding, computer numerical control (CNC) machining, 3D printing and sheet metal fabrication. Customers can submit designs online for review and receive quotes and feedback intended to help them assess and refine parts before manufacturing.
Receive News & Ratings for ClearSign Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ClearSign Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
