Sifting through countless of stocks in the Machinery industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc.

AGCO Corporation manufactures and distributes agricultural equipment and replacement parts worldwide. It offers horsepower tractors for row crop production, soil cultivation, planting, land leveling, seeding, and commercial hay operations; utility tractors for small- and medium-sized farms, as well as for dairy, livestock, orchards, and vineyards; and compact tractors for small farms, specialty agricultural industries, landscaping, equestrian, and residential uses. The company also provides grain storage bins and related drying and handling equipment systems; seed-processing systems; swine and poultry feed storage and delivery systems; ventilation and watering systems; and egg production systems and broiler production equipment. In addition, it offers round and rectangular balers, loader wagons, self-propelled windrowers, forage harvesters, disc mowers, spreaders, rakes, tedders, and mower conditioners for harvesting and packaging vegetative feeds used in cattle, dairy, horse, and renewable fuel industries. Further, the company provides implements, including disc harrows leveling seed beds and mixing chemicals with the soils; heavy tillage to break up soil and mix crop residue into topsoil; field cultivators that prepare smooth seed bed and destroy weeds; drills for small grain seeding; planters and other planting equipment; and loaders. Additionally, it offers combines for harvesting grain crops, such as corn, wheat, soybeans, and rice; and application equipment, including self-propelled, three- and four-wheeled vehicles, and related equipment for liquid and dry fertilizers and crop protection chemicals, and for after crops emerge from the ground, as well as produces diesel engines, gears, and generating sets. The company markets its products under the Fendt, Massey Ferguson, PTx, and Valtra brands through a network of independent dealers and distributors. AGCO Corporation was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.

Proto Labs, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a digital manufacturer of custom parts in the United States and Europe. It offers manufacturing services, such as molding, computer numerical control machining, 3D printing, and sheet metal to developers, engineers, and supply chain teams. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Maple Plain, Minnesota.

Latest Machinery and AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs, Inc. Stock News

As of August 4, 2026, AGCO Corporation had a $7.5 billion market capitalization, compared to the Machinery median of $4.1 million. AGCO Corporation’s stock is up 0.7% in 2026, down 9.5% in the previous five trading days and down 5.64% in the past year.

Currently, AGCO Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 14.7. AGCO Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $10.3 billion with a 5.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was -1.0%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $5.640 per share for the current fiscal year. AGCO Corporation currently has a 1.1% dividend yield.

As of August 4, 2026, Proto Labs, Inc. had a $2.1 billion market cap, putting it in the 54th percentile of all stocks. Proto Labs, Inc.’s stock is up 74.9% in 2026, up 24% in the previous five trading days and up 104.68% in the past year.

Currently, Proto Labs, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 70.1. Proto Labs, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $560.5 million with a 5.4% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 10.5%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.214 per share for the current fiscal year. Proto Labs, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

How We Compare AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc. Stock Value Grades

Company	Ticker	Value
AGCO Corporation	AGCO	B
Proto Labs, Inc.	PRLB	F

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.

Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

AGCO Corporation has a Value Score of 70, which is Value. Proto Labs, Inc. has a Value Score of 18, which is Ultra Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: AGCO Corporation

As you can clearly see from the Value Grade breakdown above, AGCO Corporation is considered to have better value than Proto Labs, Inc.. For investors who focus solely on a company’s valuation, AGCO Corporation could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
AGCO Corporation	AGCO	D
Proto Labs, Inc.	PRLB	A

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

AGCO Corporation has a Momentum Score of 31, which is Weak. Proto Labs, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 89, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Proto Labs, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Proto Labs, Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to AGCO Corporation. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Proto Labs, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
AGCO Corporation	AGCO	D
Proto Labs, Inc.	PRLB	A

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

AGCO Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 38, which is Negative. Proto Labs, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 89, which is Very Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Proto Labs, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Proto Labs, Inc. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than AGCO Corporation. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Proto Labs, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Momentum and Value, A+ Investor also provides grades for Growth and Quality.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs or Inc. Stock?

Overall, AGCO Corporation stock has a Value Score of 70, Momentum Score of 31 and Estimate Revisions Score of 38.

Proto Labs, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 18, Momentum Score of 89 and Estimate Revisions Score of 89.

Comparing AGCO Corporation, Proto Labs and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.