Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Proto LabsWBO:PRLB -2.65%60 Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 2.70% as of Mar. 2026, which is 9% below its 10-year median of 2.96. GuruFocus rates WBO:PRLB with a GF Score™ of 60/100 and a GF Value™ of €37.88 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 3,086 Industrial Products companies, Proto Labs ranks worse than 62.51% on this metric.
Proto Labs's Enterprise Value for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was €1,037.3 Mil.
Proto Labs's EBIT for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was €28.3 Mil. Proto Labs's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 2.70%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Proto Labs's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
WBO:PRLB'
s Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.05 Med: 2.96 Max: 6.71
Current: 1.93
During the past 13 years, the highest Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) of Proto Labs was 6.71%. The lowest was 1.05%. And the median was 2.96%.
WBO:PRLB's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked worse than 62.51% of 3086
companies
in the Industrial Products industry
Industry Median: 3.52
vs WBO:PRLB: 1.93
Joel Greenblatt's definition of earnings yield has the same problems the regular earnings yield does. It does not consider the growth of the company. It only looks at one-year's business operation. For cyclical companies, the earnings yield is usually highest at the peak of the business cycle. But these earnings are rarely sustainable.
A better indicator of the attractiveness of an investment which takes growth into account is the Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. Proto Labs's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -0.94%. The Forward Rate of Return uses the normalized Free Cash Flow of the past five years, and considers growth. The forward rate of return can be thought of as the return that investors buying the stock today can expect from it in the future.
Proto Labs (WBO:PRLB) Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Explanation
Joel Greenblatt defines the earnings yield using the above equation because it more accurately reflects the company's profitability relative to its stock price. Items like interest payment and tax etc. are not directly related to the company's operational profitability.
Enterprise Value instead of market cap (share price) is used in the calculation because it is the real price stock and bond investors together pay for the company.
Be Aware
Joel Greenblatt's definition of earnings yield has the same problems the regular earnings yield does. It does not consider the growth of the company. It only looks at one-year's business operation. For cyclical companies, the earnings yield is usually highest at the peak of the business cycle. But these earnings are rarely sustainable.
Proto Labs Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms
Proto Labs Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Proto Labs's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Proto Labs Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Chart
For the Metal Fabrication subindustry, Proto Labs's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Proto Labs Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Industrial Products Industry
For the Industrial Products industry and Industrials sector, Proto Labs's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Proto Labs's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
Proto Labs Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Calculation
In his book, The Little That Beat the Market, hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt defines Earnings Yield as operating income divided by enterprise value.
Proto Labss Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as
Proto Labs's EBIT for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was €28.3 Mil.
What does a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 2.70% mean?
Proto Labs (WBO:PRLB) has a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 2.70% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's earnings yield equals the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to enterprise value. View historical data on Proto Labs and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 2.96. Over the past decade, Proto Labs' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 1.05 to 6.71. According to the industry distribution chart, Proto Labs ranks #1929 out of 3086 companies in the Industrial Products industry, placing it in the top 62.5%.
Is Proto Labs' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
Proto Labs' current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 2.70% is near median its 10-year median of 2.96. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.05 to a high of 6.71. The Industrial Products industry median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.52. Proto Labs' value of 2.70% is 23.3% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Proto Labs ranks #1929 out of 3086 companies in the Industrial Products industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Proto Labs has a GF Score™ of 60/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Proto Labs' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to RYZ and WOR?
According to the Industrial Products industry distribution chart, Proto Labs ranks #1929 out of 3086 companies for Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %. This places Proto Labs in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.52. Proto Labs' value of 2.70% is 23.3% below this benchmark. Historically, Proto Labs' own Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % has ranged from 1.05 to 6.71 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.96 vs. the industry median of 3.52, Proto Labs has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % for an Industrial Products company?
The median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % among Industrial Products companies is 3.52, based on 3,086 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Proto Labs's current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 2.70% is 23.3% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's earnings yield equals the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to enterprise value. View historical data on Proto Labs and its competitors. For the Industrial Products industry, the median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.52 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Proto Labs's current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 2.70%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 2.96. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Proto Labs stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Proto Labs (WBO:PRLB) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €37.88, compared to a current price of €68.05 — trading 79.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 2.70%, which is near median its 10-year median of 2.96 and 23.3% below the Industrial Products industry median of 3.52. Proto Labs' overall GF Score™ is 60/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Proto Labs (WBO:PRLB), the current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 2.70% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Proto Labs (WBO:PRLB) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Proto Labs stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €68.05 is trading 79.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of €37.88.
GuruFocus considers Proto Labs to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for WBO:PRLB:
Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %: 2.70% (near median its 10-year median of 2.96)
GF Value™: €37.88 vs. price of €68.05 (79.6% above fair value)
Industry Position: 23.3% below the Industrial Products median (#1929 of 3086)
No single metric tells the full story. See the WBO:PRLB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Proto Labs Inc is an on-demand manufacturer of custom parts for prototyping and short-run production. The company offers developers and engineers quick-turn production services to reduce the time to market. The Lab uses injection molding, computer numerical control machining, and 3-D printing, and sheet metal to manufacture custom parts for its clients. The company services clients' needs for prototype solutions, parts for testing procedures, bridge production capabilities during disruptions in manufacturing processes, limited-quantity requests, and end-of-life production support. Geographically, a majority of the company's revenue is derived from the United States and the rest from Europe.
60GF Score
Get the complete analysis for WBO:PRLB
Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
WBO:PRLB has been successfully added to your 
