How To Invest In The 3D Printer Industry
By Panos Mourdoukoutas,
After a slow start, the 3-D printer industry is catching fire, with Gartner estimating that worldwide shipments of 3D printers priced under $100,000 will grow by 49 percent in 2013.
In other words, 3D printer companies are expected to sell 56,507 sub-$100,000 3D printers this year. That number is expected to double by 2015, as big product designers like Rolls-Royce are planning to use 3D printing for jet engine parts.
Investors have taken notice, chasing the stocks of four publicly traded companies Voxeljet (NYSE:VJET), 3D Systems (DDD), The ExOne Company XONE -2.38% (NASDAQ:XONE), and Stratasys (NASDAQ:SSYS), which are reaching one high after another.
What should new investors do? Here are two strategies.
First, be selective—take a close look at the financials of each company. In this case, I would consider buying the shares of two market leaders: Stratasys and 3D Systems. These are the companies which have amassed both the scale and scope to continue their profitable growth. I would steer away from the other two smaller companies, which lose money–see operating margins in the first table. I particularly like 3D Systems. It is heavily shorted–a cushion in case the stock pulls back.
Financials of the Four Major Players
Company Forward PE Operating Margins Qtrly Revenue Growth (yoy) Revenue
Stratasys 50.23 1.41 115.50 324.57M
3D Systems 54.57 18.72 49.90 460.15
Voxeljet – -8.30 -3.60 11.06
ExOne 126.74 -16.19 97.40 38.42
Analyst Opinions
Company Mean Recommendation Current Price ($) Price Target ($)
Stratasys 1.9 124 132.15
3D Systems 1.9 73 66
Voxeljet – –
ExOne 1.8 59 68.25
Source: Yahoo.finance.com