Insteel Industries [IIIN] vs Proto Labs [PRLB] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 21 vital metrics comparison: Insteel Industries Inc. wins in 12 metrics, Proto Labs Inc. wins in 8 metrics, with 0 ties. Insteel Industries Inc. appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric Insteel Industries Inc. Proto Labs Inc. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 11.39 73.31 Insteel Industries Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 1.34 2.26 Insteel Industries Inc.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 0.83 0.45 Proto Labs Inc.
PEG Ratio -0.23 -0.05 Proto Labs Inc.
EV/EBITDA 6.37 23.34 Insteel Industries Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 6.16% 3.98% Insteel Industries Inc.
Operating Margin (TTM) 3.93% 5.67% Proto Labs Inc.
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 3.93% 5.67% Proto Labs Inc.
Return on Equity 12.05% 3.16% Insteel Industries Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 7.81% 2.17% Insteel Industries Inc.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $18.95M $59.66M Proto Labs Inc.
Dividend Yield 3.55% N/A N/A
1-Year Return -21.50% 104.87% Proto Labs Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 0.70 2.88 Insteel Industries Inc.
Enterprise Value $468.15M $1.41B Proto Labs Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 0.68 2.64 Insteel Industries Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 9.55% 44.23% Proto Labs Inc.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $35 $22 Insteel Industries Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $2.17 $0.88 Insteel Industries Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) 0.82 1.31 Insteel Industries Inc.
Short % of Float 2.82% 3.65% Insteel Industries Inc.

Insteel Industries Inc. vs Proto Labs Inc. Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Insteel Industries Inc.0.32%1.91%9.76%-21.18%-10.12%-12.87%
Proto Labs Inc.-4.58%0.38%16.06%20.51%45.90%45.41%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Insteel Industries Inc.-21.50%-12.59%-17.79%-0.40%119.92%25.58%
Proto Labs Inc.104.87%129.71%-14.27%12.34%161.24%161.24%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Insteel Industries Inc. vs Proto Labs Inc.

MetricIIINPRLB
Market Information
Market Cap i$499.82M$1.53B
Market Cap CategorySmall capSmall cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i368,582147,190
90 Day Avg. Volume i243,137164,473
Last Close$28.24$74.67
52 Week Range$24.35 - $41.64$36.59 - $78.44
% from 52W High-32.18%-4.81%
All-Time High$47.70 (May 02, 2022)$286.57 (Jan 25, 2021)
% from All-Time High-40.80%-73.94%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.08%0.12%
Quarterly Earnings Growth-0.49%0.12%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.06%0.04%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.04%0.06%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.12%0.03%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i0.830.45
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$18.50$28.52
Cash per Share (MRQ)$0.78$5.39
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$15.87M$74.50M
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$-2,406,500$51.64M
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i3.55%N/A
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.12N/A

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Insteel Industries Inc. vs Proto Labs Inc.

MetricIIIN (Apr 24, 2026)PRLB (Apr 21, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i11.3973.31
Forward P/E i10.7032.54
PEG Ratio i-0.23-0.05
Price to Sales (TTM) i0.702.88
Price to Book (MRQ) i1.342.26
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$499.82M$1.53B
Enterprise Value i$468.15M$1.41B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i0.682.64
Enterprise to EBITDA i6.3723.34
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.821.31
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$18.50$28.52

Financial Statements Comparison: Insteel Industries Inc. vs Proto Labs Inc.

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricIIIN (2025)PRLB (2025)
Revenue/Sales i647.71M533.13M
Cost of Goods Sold i554.27M295.99M
COGS % of Revenue i85.6%55.5%
Gross Profit i93.44M237.14M
Gross Margin i14.4%44.5%
Research & Development iN/A42.81M
Operating Income (EBIT) i54.44M26.20M
Operating Margin i8.4%4.9%
EBITDA i74.88M61.11M
EBITDA Margin i11.6%11.5%
Pre-Tax Income i53.81M31.06M
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i8.3%5.8%
Income Tax i12.79M9.82M
Income Tax % of Revenue i2.0%1.8%
Net Income (Profit) i41.02M21.24M
Profit Margin i6.3%4.0%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricIIIN (2025)PRLB (2025)
Cash & Equivalents i38.63M110.83M
Total Current Assets i261.95M233.54M
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i40.4%43.8%
Total Current Liabilities i66.01M67.00M
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i10.2%12.6%
Long-Term Debt i2.05M1.61M
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i0.3%0.3%
Total Shareholders Equity i371.53M673.93M
Retained Earnings i262.75M240.76M
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i40.6%45.2%
Property, Plant & Equipment i3.94M3.26M

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricIIIN (2025)PRLB (2025)
Operating Cash Flow i6.78M59.08M
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i1.0%11.1%
Capital Expenditures i107,000-14.01M
Free Cash Flow i18.95M59.66M
FCF Margin i2.9%11.2%
Debt Repayment i-291,000-309,000
Common Stock Repurchase i-2.27M-46.40M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricIIINPRLB
Shares Short i431,205630,613
Short Ratio i2.503.79
Short % of Float i2.82%3.65%
Shares Outstanding i19.43M23.63M
Float Shares i18.50M23.49M
% Held by Insiders i5.05%1.31%
% Held by Institutions i84.37%93.13%
% Held by Public i10.58%5.56%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Insteel Industries Inc. vs Proto Labs Inc.

MetricIIINPRLB
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.12N/A
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i3.55%N/A
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$1.60N/A
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i1.23%N/A
3-Year Total Dividends i$4.80N/A
Ex-Dividend DateMar 13, 2026N/A